THEORIES OF MECHANISM OF REACTION 97 



A sublethal dose of the one poison will protect to a degree against 

 a toxic dose of the next poison. When Starkenstein tried out the 

 toxicity of strychnin in normal animals and animals previously in- 

 jected with atophan, milk, or calcium chlorid, the prepared animals 

 were found to be resistant to the poison. With phenol poisoning 

 analogous results were obtained with one exception. While animals 

 injected previously with albumose, atophan and calcium chlorid were 

 more resistant to phenol intoxication, the animals injected with milk 

 were less so. Starkenstein is inclined to the interpretation that this 

 paradoxical result is due to the fact that the phenol is more soluble 

 in the lipoids of the milk and that this lipotropic property brings 

 about a more prompt distribution and the greater activity of the 

 poison. 



Clinically Starkenstein noted excellent results by the nonspe- 

 cific treatment of herpes zoster, venereal complications, eye and ear 

 diseases and erysipelas ; in these cases there was at first an invariable 

 increase in the inflammatory process and the local reaction at the site 

 of the lesion, together with a leukocytosis. Scar formation was ob- 

 viously hastened. Blood sugar was also found to be augmented after 

 the injections. 



As a result of these studies Starkenstein concluded that the nonspe- 

 cific agents have a definite effect on the permeability of the vessels, and 

 therefore on inflammatory processes; that the irritability of the ner- 

 vous system, both sympathetic and central, seems diminished and that 

 the organism as a result of these demonstrable changes becomes more 

 resistant to such poisons as strychnin and phenol. It is of course 

 known that the irritabilty of the central nervous system is increased 

 during protein sensitization and diminished after protein shock, ob- 

 viously conditions analogous to those studied by Starkenstein. 



This alteration in the permeability of the capillaries and con- 

 sequent effect on inflammatory foci has also been studied by Luithlen, 

 by Siegert and by Schmidt who consider it of importance in the non- 

 specific therapeutic effect. 



Rohonyi has suggested that the effect of the nonspecific injec- 

 tions is to produce a neutralizing substance against the invading 

 bacteria and antitoxin. No experimental evidence points in this 

 direction. 



Pemberton has suggested another factor that may be involved, 

 particularly in the mechanism of recovery from arthritis after intra- 

 venous injection of typhoid vaccine. He calls attention to the im- 

 provement that occurs in arthritis after lowering of the food intake 

 of the body, when the body draws on its glycogen store. According 

 to his studies there seems some relation of the glycogen metabolism 

 and the pathological alterations of arthritis. During the reaction that 

 follows intravenous injections there is every reason that we have an 



