NEPHROTOXINS. 299 



non-toxic substances, as bouillon,, have a similar 

 effect, and although the secondary leucocytosis is 

 never so great as that caused by the leucotoxic 

 serum, the protective action is equally high. It 

 would seem that, leucocyte for leucocyte, those 

 which accumulate following the injection of leuco- 

 cytoxic serum are less efficient in antibacterial 

 action than those whose presence is caused by 

 nontoxic substances (Eicketts). Hence there prob- 

 ably is no field for leucotoxic serum as a means of 

 temporarily increasing resistance to bacterial in- 

 fections. 



By guarded immunization Besredka obtained an 

 antileucotoxic serum. 



Nephrotoxic serums have been brought into 

 close relationship with clinical and anatomic prob- 

 lems by a number of investigators. Some normal 

 serums are held to be nephrotoxic inasmuch as 

 their injection is followed by albuminuria and 

 renal degenerations. Immune nephrotoxins have 

 a similar but more pronounced effect, and Linde- 

 man referred the death of his experiment animals 

 to the development of a uremic condition. Of 

 more than ordinary interest is the claim of cer- 

 tain workers that autonephrotoxins may be formed \ntinepiiro- 

 in the body. One (Lindeman) caused a toxic toxins - 

 nephritis in dogs by the injection of potassium- 

 bichromate. The serum of this dog, although free 

 from chromic acid, was toxic for other dogs, pro- 

 ducing the symptoms which are caused by an im- 

 mune nephrotoxic serum. It was supposed that 

 the chromic acid in the fir'st dog caused disintegrar 

 tion of renal cells and that the constituents of the 

 latter were then taken up by nephrotoxic receptors 

 which normally reside in the organs of the ani- 



