44 INFECTION AND RESISTANCE 



Quaternary 



Subsequently Bohm 46 47 discovered that curare contains two 

 bases the one, "curin," is slightly toxic and is a tertiary base; the 

 other, which possesses the typical curare action, "curarin," is an 

 "ammonium base." By "methylizing" curin, curarin could be ob- 

 tained. 



From these and other examples it is clear that in a certain num- 

 ber of cases actual chemical affinity must play a part in toxic action ; 

 on the other hand, there are many cases in which toxic action seems 

 to depend merely upon physical conditions such as solubilities. 

 Meyer and Overton's well-known theory of narcosis maintains that 

 certain narcotics exert their action by passing out of blood and 

 lymph solution into solution by the fat-like, lipoidal substances 

 (lecithin, cholestrin, etc.) contained in the nerve cells, because the 

 latter are better solvents for them than is the blood plasma. This 

 theory of Meyer and Overton has stimulated much investigation and 

 speculation, and it is not unlikely that it is valid in the case of many 

 narcotics, although it does not explain the action of narcotics in gen- 

 eral; for Dickson notes that chloral hydrate, for instance, is more 

 soluble in water than in oils, and some narcotic drugs like alcohol 

 exert definite action on proteins and are oxidized in the body. These 

 are pharmacological questions of which we cannot speak with author- 

 ity. We wish merely to point out that the action of poisons upon the 

 body may depend in some cases upon mere physical or mechanical 

 relationship between the two. 48 49 



As regards bacterial poisons the union between poison and sus- 

 ceptible cell is extremely firm and difficult to dissociate in many 

 instances, and this points to the possibility that, in these cases at 

 least, true chemical union takes place rather than merely a loose 

 combination like that of the solution of one substance in another. 

 Furthermore, the complete inactivation of some poisons by mixture 

 with the cells of tissues capable of binding them would likewise 

 point to more than mere physical union. Nevertheless, it does not 

 by any means exclude the thought that the poisons may, in fact, go 

 into selective relationship with special cells because of physical prop- 

 erties, such as solubility in the lipoidal cell membranes, 50 51 and may 



46 Bohm. Arch, de Pharm., cited from Fraenkel. 



47 See also Dickson, "A Manual of Pharmacology," E. Arnold, London, 

 1912. 



48 Ivar Bang. "Biochemie der Lipoide," Bergmann, Wiesbaden, 1911. 



49 Meyer and Gottlieb. "Experimentelle Pharmakologie," 2d. Ed., Urban 

 & Schwartzenberg, Berlin, 1911. 



60 For Overton's theory of osmosis see R. Hober, "Physikalische Chemie 

 der Zelle u. Gewebe," Leipzig, Engelmann, 1911. 



51 Compare also, regarding this entire question, the discussion in P. Th. 

 Miiller, "Vorlesungen iiber Imnmnitat, etc.," Fischer, Jena, 1910. 



