96 PROTEIN THERAPY 



the hyperleukocytosis as a possible factor in recovery from acute 

 infections and considered the reaction specific. This view was not 

 upheld, however, by later workers Zinsser, McWilliams, etc. 



Mueller has studied the leukocytic response in considerable detail 

 and calls particular attention to the fact that myelocytes and 

 nucleated red cells make their appearance very frequently after the 

 nonspecific injections, indicating a very profound stimulation of the 

 bone marrow. On this basis he has recommended and used milk in- 

 jections in the treatment of secondary anemias. Mueller's results 

 rather support the contention of Dollken that nonspecific injections 

 do not necessarily stimulate the entire organism but may be se- 

 lective, i. e., acting chiefly on the liver, bone marrow, etc. 



Starkenstein 's Theory. Perhaps one of the most suggestive and 

 illuminating researches in the field of the mechanism of nonspecific 

 therapy has been that of Starkenstein. Starkenstein would, in the first 

 place, widen the concept of the reaction from that of a protein therapy, 

 or a heterotherapy to one embracing the entire collection of agents 

 a true nonspecific therapy including not only the bacterial or pro- 

 tein substances in common use, but the metallic colloids, the various 

 drugs that have been developed such as succinimid, quinin, arsenic, 

 etc., and even purely physical methods, von Groer has covered this 

 in using the term "Ergotropie" to designate this form of therapy. 



Starkenstein has been able to show that the various agents under 

 consideration bring about such a change. The method used is a 

 relatively simple and direct one and consists in injecting sodium 

 fluorescin into dogs and watching the permeability of the vessels of 

 the eye to the dye under normal conditions and following the injec- 

 tion of the various nonspecific agents. In a similar fashion the agents 

 were studied in their effect on a keratitis produced by mustard oil. 

 The definite retarding or accelerating action of the drugs on inflamma- 

 tion could be studied in this way. Finally Starkenstein deter- 

 mined the alteration of the toxicity of strychnin and of phenol in 

 dogs that were injected with the agents. 



Starkenstein found very definite alterations. Using the dye it was 

 found that distilled water, calcium chlorid, milk and salt injections 

 all altered the permeability of the vessels. A long list of substances 

 was found to be "entzundungshemmend" (anti-inflammatory). This 

 included the following: quinin, ethereal oils, calcium salts, morphin, 

 nicotin, atophan, salicylates, antipyrin, magnesium sulphate, adrena- 

 lin, serum, plasma, gelatin, silicic acid, starch, methylene blue, salt, 

 water, fuchsin, iodin. 



In the experiments dealing with intoxication Starkenstein calls 

 attention to a fact that a number of Italian observers had pre- 

 viously noted, namely the antagonism existing between toxic sub- 

 stances (Lusini, Lo Menaco, Kleine, Brunner). 



