DIPHTHERIA 277 



broth cultures by means of absolute alcohol, and also by 

 the addition of calcium chloride. They found that O4 

 mgrm. was sufficient to kill eight guinea-pigs or two rabbits, 

 and considered it to be an enzyme. 



From the blood and spleen of cases of diphtheria Sydney 

 Martin 1 isolated albumoses (chiefly deutero-albumose) and 

 an organic acid, but no basic body. Injected subcuta- 

 neously the albumose produces much oedema and irregu- 

 larity of temperature ; in larger doses depression of tem- 

 perature with paralysis and coma. Small multiple doses, 

 not sufficient to destroy life, may give rise to some fever, 

 and in two or three days to paralysis of the hind legs in 

 rabbits, with general weakness and loss of weight. Post- 

 mortem, the nerves are found to have undergone degenera- 

 tion breaking up and disappearance of the myelin and 

 interruption of the axis cylinder, while the heart is fatty. 

 The organic acid is also a nerve poison, but is not so toxic 

 as the albumose. From diphtheritic membrane, extracted 

 with a 10 per cent, salt solution, only traces of albumose 

 and organic acid were obtained, but the extract was 

 highly toxic, producing fever and paralysis. Sidney 

 Martin suggests that a substance of the nature of a ferment 

 may be present, and that the ferment in the membrane 

 on absorption may perhaps form the albumose in the body. 

 From cultures of the diphtheria bacillus in alkali-albumin, 

 albumose and organic acid, with similar actions to those 

 isolated from the body, were obtained. 



Brieger and Frankel (1890) were unable to find any 

 basic substance in cultures, and concluded that the toxic 

 substance was a protein body, which they designated a 

 " tox-albumin." It was destroyed by a temperature of 

 60 C. but not by one of 50 C., even in the presence of an 

 excess of hydrochloric acid, and hence is probably not an 

 enzyme. The tox-albumin is non-dialysable, is precipitated 



1 Brit. Med. Journ., 1892, vol. i, p. 641. 



