RECENT WORK ON ANAPHYLAXIS 127 



cerned in the production of anaphylaxis. In view 

 of the work of Vaughan on protein split products 

 and of various workers on " drug anaphylaxis/' it 

 seems probable, however, that some alteration in the 

 protein molecule is necessary for the production of 

 the reaction. 



It is perhaps rather unfortunate that up to the 

 present time the morbid histology of this subject 

 has not produced any great interest amongst workers 

 in immunity. Recently, however, Broughton^ has 

 made microscopic examinations of the post-mortem 

 findings of guinea-pigs rendered anaphylactic with 

 egg-albumen or with beef serum. He found the most 

 marked changes in the small arteries of the liver,, 

 kidneys, spleen, and heart. These changes, which 

 were confined to the small arteries, were (i) degenera- 

 tion and regeneration of endothelium, (2) oedema and 

 fissuring of intima and media, (3) sometimes splitting 

 of the internal elastic lamina. The subject is now 

 becoming important in relation to the recently 

 developed cellular theory. WeiF has also dernon- 

 strated changes in the livers of anaphylactic dogs 

 (congestion and degeneration of parenchyma cells). 



This aspect of the question leads us to a considera- 

 tion of the various theories which have been advanced 

 in explanation of the phenomena of anaphylaxis. 

 Unfortunately, the terminology, like that of immunit}' 

 work in general, has become extremely confusing. 

 Most workers have produced theories based upon 

 the interaction of antigen and antibody, and in almost 

 all cases new terms have been coined for the purpose. 

 Many of these terms presuppose conditions which it 

 is impossible to prove at the present time, and for 

 this reason are unsuitable. Besredka in the present 

 work has been careful to avoid this by the use of the 



^ Journal of Immunology, i., p. 105, 1916; ii., p, 501, 1917. 

 2 Ibid., ii., pp. 429, 525, 1917. 



