Botanic Remedies 261 



symptoms somewhat similar to the asthma induced 

 by horse-serum sensitization. 



Blackfan (Am. Jour. Dis. Child., June, 1916) 

 advances a theory that there is an etiologic rela- 

 tionship between protein sensitization and eczema, 

 and he finds that a person sensitive to one protein 

 is apt to be sensitive to several. As involves the 

 vegetable proteins, this is certainly true. 



Ricin, the tox-albuminoid principle found in 

 castor-oil seeds, is an intensely poisonous phyto- 

 albuminose found in the endosperm and embryo; 

 chemically it is analogous to the bacterial toxins 

 and ferments, but is stable in the alimentary tract. 

 The lethal subcutaneous dose for man is so small 

 it is best expressed in the metric scale as 0.003 gm. 

 Fifteen grains of it is sufficient to kill one and a half 

 million guinea pigs. By injection of infinitesimal 

 doses, antiricin is formed in the body, and immunity 

 is established. 



The study of ricin by Ehrlich laid the foundation 

 of serum therapeutics. Antiricin is an antitoxin 

 formed in the blood of a person taking fractional 

 doses of ricin. 



Abrin, from Abrus precatorius (see "Jequirity"), 

 and crotin, from Croton tiglium or CROTON OIL, a 

 vicious purgative in 1 -minim doses, closely re- 

 sembles ricin. Toxins have also been obtained from 

 poisonous mushrooms. Doubtless animals could be 

 immunized to all of these vegetable proteins (See 

 Pharm. Jour, of Great Britain, Feb. 6, 1915). 



It impresses me that the endosperms and embryos, 

 the pollens, and probably other protein-carriers of 

 plant life, may, many of them, carry substances 

 which are highly toxic when subcutaneously in- 



