THE POISONS PRODUCED IN SUPERFICIAL BURNS 463 



genie in their properties, and act without a period of incuba- 

 tion ; they are rapidly weakened on standing in solution and by 

 the action of sunlight, are absorbed from the gastro-intestinal 

 tract, are soluble in water, alcohol, and glycerin, but not in 

 chloroform or ether, are precipitated by HgCl 2 in acid solution, 

 and by phosphotungstic acid, and they are not volatile. 

 Apparently, according to Pfeiffer, they are not ptomai'ns, nor 

 yet pyridin derivatives, as many investigators have contended, 

 but resemble more closely the labile poisons of snake venom. 

 The neurotoxic substance is more thermostable than the necro- 

 genic substance, which is very easily destroyed by heat. Pfeiffer 

 believes it probable that the poisons are derived from the cleav- 

 age of proteids altered in composition by burning. The 

 hemolysis he attributes to direct injury of the blood in its pas- 

 sage through the heated area, and not to the action of poisons ; 

 this is very possible, since red corpuscles fragment after being 

 heated to 52, and may be seriously impaired functionally at 

 45. There are many authors, indeed, who consider the blood 

 changes the chief cause of death, but the weight of evidence is 

 in favor of the theory of the development of toxic substances 

 in the burned skin. In spite of Pfeiffer' s researches, however, 

 the nature of these poisons must be considered as completely 

 unknown, for numerous other observers have described " pepto- 

 toxins " (Fraenkel and Spiegler), ptomai'ns (Kijanitzin, Ajello 

 and Parascendolo), and pyridin bases (Fraenkel and Spiegler, 

 Reiss *). It remains also to be determined if the poisons are 

 of such a nature that an immune serum can be obtained for 

 them. 



Burn Blisters. The contents of burn blisters resemble the 

 fluid of inflammatory edemas generally. K. Morner 2 found 

 5.031 per cent, of proteids, which included 1.359 per cent, of 

 globulin and 0.011 per cent, of fibrin ; there was also present 

 a substance reducing copper oxide, but no pyrocatechin. 



1 References given by Pfeiffer, loc. cit. 

 2 Skand. Arch. Physiol, 1895 (5), 272. 



