CHOLERA ENDOTOXIN. 475 



localization of the organisms in the intestines and 

 intestinal mucosa has been produced in this way 

 (Thomas). 



The essential poison of the cholera vibrio is in- 

 tracellular, and becomes free only after solution of 

 the bacterial cells. Cultures which are killed care- 

 fully as by chloroform vapor (Pfeiffer) are highly 

 toxic, although the fluid alone is non-toxic. The 

 filtrates of young cultures have little or no poison- 

 ous action. The toxicity of older filtrates is due 

 partly to the solution of the bacteria with conse- 

 quent liberation of endotoxin, and perhaps also to 

 secondary disintegration products which have a 

 certain toxicity. The soluble toxin of Metchni- 

 koff. Eoux, and Taurelli-Salimbeni is a dissolved 

 endotoxin and not a secretion of the living cells, 

 according to Kolle. 



Koch considers that cholera is an acute infec-. ^"J" 10118 

 tious process of the intestinal epithelium, whereas intestines. 

 the general condition is one of acute intoxication. 

 It is assumed that the condition in the intestines 

 corresponds to that in the culture media, i. e., that 

 here, too, no true soluble toxin, comparable with 

 that of diphtheria or tetanus, is secreted, but that 

 the toxin which eventually reaches the circulation 

 is that which is liberated from the bacteria after 

 the latter have been dissolved by the bacteriolysin 

 of the plasma, or perhaps by the leucocytes. Doubt- 

 less a great deal of endotoxin is liberated in the in- 

 testinal canal, but it is Koch's conception (cited 

 by Kolle) that the primary intoxication comes 

 from those organisms which have penetrated be- 

 tween and beneath the epithelial cells and here 

 have undergone solution. One effect of the toxin 

 in this situation is to cause desquamation of the 



