AUTOCYTOTOXINS. 305 



cardiac muscle, have at the present time nothing 

 more than general biological interest. 



It would seem that no question in relation to concerning 



i j_ i j. j_i 1 1 Autocyto- 



cytotoxic serums is more important than the pos- toxins. 

 sibility that autocytotoxins may develop and in- 

 stitute the vicious cycle which was mentioned ear- 

 lier. It is true that the results of some investiga- 

 tors suggest the probability of such a process, but 

 it would be going too far to say that its existence 

 as an important pathologic law has been estab- 

 lished. On the contrary, the development of auto- 

 cytotoxins is one of the rarest of occurrences in 

 experimental work; and Ehrlich has spoken of 

 the inability of the body to form such antibodies 

 as a condition of "horror autotoxicus." The cells 

 of our kidneys and our erythrocytes certainly do 

 degenerate, and it is quite possible that the recep- 

 tors which are thereby liberated actually reach 

 cytotoxic amboceptors which are situated in other "Horror 

 organs. In the event that the process extends to 

 this point, Ehrlich assumes that the amboceptors 

 are of a sessile nature, that in spite of the stimula- 

 tion to which the cells are subjected the "sessile 

 amboceptors" may not be overproduced and lib- 

 erated as in the case of antibodies for bacterial 

 substances or for the cells of other species. In 

 accordance with this explanation we are saved 

 from intoxications of the nature in question be- 

 cause of the sessile nature of the cytotoxic ambo- 

 ceptors. 



