CHAPTER XV 



ANAPHYLAXIS 



ANY discussion of serum therapy would be incom- 

 plete without reference to the phenomenon of anaphy- 

 laxis. The name "anaphylaxis" is from the German, 

 and signifies "against protection." 



It has been found that the introduction into the blood 

 of an animal of certain protein or albuminous substances, 

 such as blood-serum, bacterial proteins, egg-white, 

 milk, etc., will produce in the animal injected a condi- 

 tion of hypersusceptibility, so that when another in- 

 jection of the same substance is made after a definite 

 length of time has elapsed for the condition to develop, 

 symptoms of poisoning occur immediately following 

 the injection. The symptoms characterizing this con- 

 dition are weakness, difficult respiration or asthmatic 

 paroxysms, weakened heart's action, and even death. 



The explanation of this condition is that when a 

 foreign protein is introduced into the blood, antibodies 

 for that particular protein, which are either present at 

 the time or are soon formed, begin the destruction of 

 such foreign proteins by decomposition or splitting up 

 into simpler forms of matter. 



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