ANAPHYLAXIS 393 



This work was done long before the days of anaphylaxis studies, 

 and the results were interpreted in keeping with Pfeiffer's theory. 

 However, as Weichhardt himself now claims, it is not unlikely that 

 he was dealing with a phenomenon analogous to the ones we are 

 discussing. A similar opinion of the production of toxic substances 

 by specific cytolysis was expressed by Wolff-Eisner 20 in 1904. 



Probably the most important of the earlier investigations along 

 these lines, at least in its direct bearing on anaphylaxis, was the 

 work of Vaughan and Wheeler, 21 published in 1907. 



In its general significance this work ranks among the most im- 

 portant contributions to our understanding of hyper susceptibility. 22 

 Their conception of anaphylaxis takes root in the earlier investiga- 

 tions of Vaughan 23 and his pupils upon the extraction of a poison- 

 ous group from the protein molecule. 



Vaughan and Wheeler 24 25 believe that the sensitizing and the 

 toxogenic properties of the anaphylactic antigens are in truth con- 

 tained within the self-same proteid molecule ; but can be chemically 

 separated from each other. They have been able to split egg al- 

 bumen and other proteids by treatment with absolute alcohol (con- 

 taining 2 per cent. NaOH) into 2 fractions a toxic alcohol-soluble 

 and a non-toxic alcohol-insoluble one. The former fraction gave 

 protein reactions, and they regard it as a true protein while Wells, 26 

 considering the hydrolytic nature of the cleavage resorted to, con- 

 siders this fraction as possibly a soluble peptone or polypeptid (the 

 positive protein reactions being possibly due to amino acids). The 

 non-alcohol-soluble, non-toxic fraction also gives proteid reactions. 

 Injections into guinea pigs of the toxic fraction produce symptoms 

 not unlike anaphylaxis but do not sensitize against protein. The 

 alcohol-soluble portion is non-toxic and sensitizes against protein in 

 doses of 0.001 to 0.005 gm. 



Based on these results, their views of mechanism of anaphylaxis 

 are as follows : At the first injection a slow lysis (cleavage) of the 

 injected protein gradually liberates a fraction, corresponding to the 

 alcohol-insoluble substance and this by its antigenic action gives 

 rise to the formation, in excess, of an enzyme (lysin), which on re- 

 injection brings about the rapid cleavage of the injected protein 



20 Wolfe-Eisner. Centralbl. f. Bakt., Vol. 37, 1904. 



21 Vaughan and Wheeler. Jour. Inf. Dis., Vol. 4, 1907. 



22 This work also contains the germ of the more recent ideas upon the 

 nature of toxemia in infectious disease, advanced more particularly by 

 Friedberger. This will be considered in detail in the next chapter. 



23 Vaughan. Transact. Ass'n Am. Phys., Vol. 16, 1901 ; Jour. A. M. A., 

 Vol. 36, 1901; Am. Med., 1901; Jour. A. M. A., Vol. 43, 1904. 



24 V. C. Vaughan, Jr. Jour. A. M. A. } Vol. 44, 1905, p. 1340. 



25 V. C. Vaughan. Boston Med. and Surg. Jour., Vol. 155, 1906. 



26 Wells. Jour. Inf. Dis., Vol. 5, 1908. 



