THE AUTOGENOUS DISEASES. 361 



coraemia" for that condition which results from arrest of 

 excretion from the intestine. 



It is more than probable that the poisons of the intes- 

 tines are due to the bacteria which are normally present ; 

 but this would not exclude the fever of non-elimination 

 from the list of autogenous diseases. The bacterial cells 

 which are normally present in the intestines cannot be 

 regarded as invaders from without. 



It would seem from some recent studies that not all sur- 

 gical fevers are due to bacterial activity. The absorption 

 of aseptic blood -clots and of disintegrated tissue in cases of 

 complicated fractures and contusions of the joints is accom- 

 panied by an elevation of the temperature above normal. 

 A like result may follow the intravenous injection of a 

 sterile solution of hsemoglobin or of the blood of another 

 animal. The causative agent in the production of these 

 fevers remains unknown. In the blood of twelve out of 

 fifteen patients with aseptic fever, at the clinic of Noth- 

 NAGEL, Hammeeschlag has found free fibrin -ferment, 

 but in five persons without fever he found the same sub- 

 stance in the blood. This leaves the causative agent in the 

 production of the aseptic, or, more properly speaking, the 

 non-bacterial, fevers unknown. 



The chemical theory of so-called ursemia has received 

 support in recent researches, notwithstanding the fact that 

 the old idea that urea is the active poison and the theory 

 of Feeeeiches that ammonium carbonate is the active 

 agent have been abandoned. 



Landois laid bare the surface of the brain in dogs 

 and rabbits, and sprinkled the motor area with creatine, 

 creatinine, and other constituents of the urine. Urea, 

 ammonium carbonate, sodium chloride, and potassium 

 chloride had but slight effect; but creatine, creatinine, 

 and acid sodium phosphate caused clonic convulsions on 

 the opposite side of the body which later became bilateral. 

 The convulsions continued at intervals for from two to 

 three days, when, growing gradually weaker, they disap- 

 peared. Landois concludes that chorea gravidarum is a 



