258 BACTERIOLOGY 



from a number of bacterial species protein constituents, 

 "bacterio proteins," as he denominated them, having the 

 common properties of soluabiHty in alkahes, relative resis- 

 tance to the boiling temperature, attraction for leukocytes 

 (positive chemotaxis), and pyogenic powers. 



The liberation of endotoxins from the bacterial cells by 

 strictly bacteriolytic processes going on in the living body 

 is not a simple phenomenon. It is conceived as resulting 

 from a solution of the bacteria by a certain ferment-like 

 body in the blood. This ferment-like body can act only 

 when it is bound to the bacterial cell by a specific inter- 

 mediary body. This latter is supposed to be portions of 

 cells that have been thrown off from fixed cells in the course 

 of inimunization, i. e., in the course of acquiring tolerance 

 to the action of certain endotoxic bacteria. 



In numerous instances bacteria are disintegrated by 

 normal blood. Here it is believed that the ferment-like body 

 is brought into action through the agency of intermediary 

 bodies of a non-specific nature, i. e., of bodies normally 

 present that may have the power to bind any or all bacteria 

 to the ferment-like body and thus lead to their destruction. 



While the blood of all animals possesses some destructive 

 solvent or disintegrating action for most bacteria, this is 

 never so great as is that of the blood of immunized animals 

 upon the particular bacteria from which they are immune. 



Endotoxins Distinct in their Action from Toxins. — Like 

 toxins, endotoxins, i. e., dead endotoxic bacteria, may cause 

 disease and death of the animal tissues. Similarly, when 

 endotoxic bacteria are repeatedly injected in sublethal 

 doses, immunity of varying degrees develops. The immunity 

 resulting from the use of non-fatal doses of endotoxic bac- 

 teria, is not, however, an antitoxic or an anti-endotoxic 



