THE ADRENAL BODIES 165 



the effect upon blood-pressure when the extract is injected 

 intravenously. The question naturally arises whether both 

 these effects are due to one substance or whether there are two 

 active materials present in adrenal extracts. It seems to be 

 generally admitted at the present time that the toxic effects, 

 like those on the blood -pressure, are due to the action of 

 adrenin. If this be the case, it would seem that this substance 

 has a central as well as a peripheral action. 



Elliott discusses the effects of subcutaneoiis injections of 

 adrenin, and classifies the possible causes of the symptoms 

 under three heads : (1) The strain thrown upon the circulatory 

 system by the great rise of blood-pressure ; (2) a poisoning of 

 tissues by quantities of adrenin exceeding that sufficient for 

 physiological stimulation ; (3) the poisonous action of possible 

 decomposition products of adrenin within the body. The 

 author considers that the chief cause is No. 2 i.e., that the 

 excess of adrenin itself is toxic. He points out that a poisonous 

 action of adrenin on bioplasm is suggested by its chemical con- 

 stitution, which displays the NH.CH 3 grouping that resists 

 chemical alteration in the body with great stubbornness. 



Ssaweljew, as we have seen, confirmed the observation of 

 the present writer that some immunity can be established by 

 administering doses of adrenin not sufficient to cause death. 

 But he reports further that he could obtain an immune 

 serum which was capable of conferring passive immunity 

 upon a second animal. Stradiotti, employing the " paragang- 

 liiia Vassale," produced in dogs a serum which could precipi- 

 tate the " paraganglina " and neutralize its power of vaso- 

 constriction. Elliott and Durham point out that these results 

 are not in accordance with expectation, for as yet no instance 

 has been discovered of the production of an antibody to a 

 substance of such chemical character as that of adrenin. In 

 their experiments no trace of an anti-adrenin could be found. 



2. The Special Physiological Effects of Chromaphil Tissue 

 Extracts and of Adrenin 



1. The Effects upon the Heart and Arteries. A new stage 

 in the history of our subject was reached in the year 1894 

 by the discovery of Oliver and Schafer that extract of the 

 medulla of the adrenal bodies produces a very remarkable 



