THE NONSPECIFIC AGENTS 29 



1 to 4 days and that the leukocytes are particularly active (young 

 forms). 



TISSUE EXTRACTS 



Tumor Autolysates. Efforts to influence disease processes by 

 means of autolysates from tissues and tissue extracts have centered 

 largely about malignant neoplasms and a considerable number of 

 substances have been used by clinical observers. The work of Beard 

 has already been mentioned; the fact that tumor cells seem very 

 rich in heterolytic proteoclastic enzyme (Wolff and Blumenthal) 

 stimulated repeated efforts to prepare some substance from tumor 

 juice that would have a therapeutic action. All substances so far 

 used cause a typical protein reaction and are without specific action 

 on tumor cells. The most recent report of such a preparation is 

 that of Joannovics and his associate Scherber. Bier and Sticker be- 

 gan similar studies some twenty years ago, using foreign proteins 

 (foreign serum, lymph, organ juices) combined with atoxyl. 



Cartilage Extracts. Heilner in recent years prepared an extract 

 from cartilage called "sanarthrit" which, injected in chronic arthritis, 

 causes in some cases marked alleviation of the symptoms. Heil- 

 ner introduced the substance for the treatment of gout, on the as- 

 sumption that in gouty diathesis the cartilage, because of its chemical 

 structure, offered a site of particular affinity for the deposition of 

 uric acid and related compounds. Therefore the injection of such 

 material in a soluble form might aid in the elimination of the exciting 

 metabolic products. It was soon found, however, that other arthritic 

 processes, infectious in origin, were also influenced by the injections 

 so that the theory was no longer tenable. It is now the expressed 

 opinion of a number of observers that the reaction is merely a non- 

 specific one and similar in character and in its therapeutic possibilities 

 and limitations to the other agents of this group. 



Vascular Extracts. The most recent preparation of this nature 

 is an extract of vascular tissue (blood vessel walls, etc.) which is 

 said to have some effect in arteriosclerosis. 



Organotherapy. Borchardt, in recent communications, has made 

 the statement that all the tissue extracts, unless they offer very definite 

 glandular substitution, as thyroid extracts do, or contain enzymes 

 (and are therefore enzymatic agents) represent merely nonspecific 

 agents which stimulate the organism in a nonspecific way. It is at 

 least very probable that in a measure their effect is due to such 

 activity. 



Borchardt is also of the opinion that the injection of relatively 

 small amounts of blood subcutaneously (Weinland) and the injec- 

 tion of marrow extracts (Danilewski, Fowler, etc.) as well as splenic 

 extracts have their therapeutic basis on the same nonspecific stimula- 

 tion of the hematopoietic system. 



