, 



92 INFECTION AND RESISTANCE 



the red blood cells of another species. Apart from the great interest 

 attaching to this discovery in itself, it has had a very profound influ- 

 ence upon investigations on immunity generally, since it has fur- 

 nished a method of studying lysis far more simple and easily con- 

 trolled than is the analogous phenomenon of bacteriolysis. And 

 since, in fundamental principles, bacteriolysis and hemolysis are 

 essentially alike, much of our knowledge regarding the former has 

 been arrived at by experiments upon the latter. The specific hemo- 

 lysins, then, are antibodies formed in response to "immunization" 

 with red blood cells, analogous to the similarly produced "bacterio- 

 lysins." Because both of these antibodies exert definite injury upon 

 cells, we speak of them by the group names of "cytolysins" or "cyto- 

 ioxic" substances. 



The discovery of hemolysins naturally suggested the use of other 

 cells, and the following years brought forth many reports of further 

 specific cytotoxins. In 1899, Metchnikoff, 46 and very soon after- 

 ward Landsteiner, 47 described specific "spermotoxins" which ap- 

 peared in the blood of animals treated with spermatozoa. Yon Dun- 

 gern 48 obtained analogous substances by injecting ciliated epithe- 

 lium from the trachea. Neisser and Wechsberg 49 produced "leuko- 

 toxin" by injecting leukocytes; Delezenne 50 produced "neurotoxin" 

 and "liepatotoxin" and Surmont, 51 pancreas cytotoxin. Subsequent 

 years have added to these " gastro-toxin" (Bolton), 52 thymotoxin 

 (Slatineau), 53 adrenal cytotoxin (Gildersleeve), 54 placentar cyto- 

 toxin (Frank), 55 corpus luteum cytotoxin (Miller), 56 and a number 

 of others. In fact, as Roessle 57 puts it, in a review of the literature, 

 there is no organ in the body for which it has not been claimed that 

 specific cytotoxins can be formed by the injection of homologous 

 macerated tissues. 



Eecent critical study of these organ-cytotoxins has revealed, how- 

 ever, that the specificity of a serum produced with the tissues of one 

 organ is not strictly limited to this organ alone, and that the serum 

 may injure other organs as well. It is true, indeed, that there are 

 certain cells and tissues in the body such as the spermatozoa, the 

 tissues of the testicles, the ovary, the lens of the eye, and, possibly, 



46 Metchnikoff. Ann. Past., Vol. 13, 1899. 



47 Landsteiner. Centralbl f. Bakt., Vol. 25, p. 549, 1899. 



48 Von Dung-ern. Munch, med. Woch., p. 1228, 1899. 



49 Neisser and Wechsberg. Zeitschr. f. Hyg., Vol. 36, 1901. 



50 Delezenne. Ann. Past., 1900 ; Compt. rend, de Vacad. des sc., 1900. 



51 Surmo nt. Compt. rend, de la soc. de biol., 1901. 



52 Bolton. Lancet, 1908. 



53 Slatineau. Cited from Roessle, loc. cit. 



54 Gildersleeve. Cited after Roessle. 



55 Frank. Jour. Exp. Med., 1907. 



56 Miller. Centralbl. f. Bakt., 47, 1908. 



57 Roessle. "Lubarsch und Ostertag," Vol. 13, 1909. 



