248 FERMENTS AND ANTIFERMENTS 



Jochmann and Mliller have demonstrated the presence of an anti- 

 ferment in the serum used against leukocytic ferments in diseases as- 

 sociated with great destruction of the leukocytes. Following these 

 observers, Marcus Brieger and Trebing * found that 90 per cent, of the 

 patients suffering from carcinoma or sarcoma examined by them showed 

 an increase of antitrypsin in the blood. Von Bergmann and Meyer 2 

 confirmed this observation, although they found that a similar increase 

 also occurred in 24 per cent, of non-cancerous patients. More recent 

 work would indicate that the antitrypsin may be present in acute in- 

 fections, such as pneumonia, typhoid fever, etc., in chronic infections, 

 such as tuberculosis and syphilis, in exophthalmic goiter, and in severe 

 anemias. As previously mentioned, Schwartz, 3 Suginoto, 4 and Job- 

 ling and Petersen 5 believe that the antitryptic influence of blood-serum 

 is due to the lipoids, and especially to the compounds of the unsaturated 

 fatty acids. 



The tryptic ferment liberated by disintegrating leukocytes and con- 

 nective-tissue cells is largely responsible for the liquefaction of these 

 cells and the formation of pus, as in abscess formation and autodigestion 

 of infected surface wounds. On the other hand, an antitrypsin-like 

 substance tends to limit the activities of the ferment and protect the 

 surrounding tissues from progressive destruction. A deficiency of this 

 substance may account for the rapid breaking-down of infected glands 

 and of a walled-off tuberculous lesion, the development of carbuncles, 

 etc. A study of the antitryptic power of the blood may, therefore, prove 

 of value in suppurative processes and in malignant disease, and consider- 

 ably influence a prognosis. 



Ferments in Pregnancy and Disease. It is largely to the researches 

 of Abderhalden and his associates that we owe our knowledge of the 

 fact that when food-stuffs are introduced into the body parenterally, i. e. y 

 by subcutaneous or intravenous injection, ferments are produced that, by 

 process of cleavage and reduction, deprive them of their individuality. 



For example, normal dog serum cannot reduce cane-sugar, whereas 

 the serum of a dog immunized by several injections of this sugar is able 

 to reduce it in vitro. Similarly, normal serum is unable to cleave edestin 

 (vegetable albumin), whereas the serum of an immunized dog will split 

 this protein into simpler substances. 



1 Berl. klin. Wochschr., 1908, xlv, 1349. 2 Ibid., 1908, xlv, 1673. 



3 Wien. klin. Wochschr., 1909, xxii, 1151. 



4 Arch. f. exper. Path. u. Pharmakol., 1913, Ixxii, 374. 



6 Jour, exper. Med., 1914. xix, 239 and 459. 



