42 ANAPHYLAXIS AND ANTI-ANAPHYLAXIS 



liberate a third substance which is toxic ? Is it 

 because the sudden encounter between the antigen and 

 antibody upsets the equilibrium of the nerve cells and 

 gives rise to symptoms that simulate a true intoxi- 

 cation ? The question has not yet been definitely 

 settled, but we shall discuss it at length in the last 

 chapter. At present the mechanism of this toxic 

 action is not an essential point, and it is relatively 

 of secondary importance compared with the need for 

 counteracting this toxicitj'^ in animals and, above all, 

 in man. 



