The "Lateral-chain Theory" of Immunity 113 



by means of water, alcohol, or acetone, according to the nature of the body, to 

 remove all these substances quickly and easily from the tissues." 



"This is most simply and convincingly demonstrated in the case of the anilin 

 dyes. The nervous system stained with methylene-blue or the granules 

 of the cells stained with neutral red at once yield up the dye in the presence of 

 alcohol. We are, therefore, obliged to conclude that none of the foreign bodies 

 just mentioned enter synthetically into the cell complex, but are merely con- 

 tained in the cells in their free state." .... "Hence with regard to the 

 pharmacologically active bodies in general, it is not allowable to assume that 

 they possess definite atom groups, which enter into combination with correspond- 

 ing groups of the protoplasm. This corresponds, as I may remark beforehand, 

 with the incapacity of all these substances to produce antitoxins in the animal 

 body. We must, therefore, conclude that only certain substances, food-stuffs, 

 par excellence, are endowed with properties admitting of their being, in the 

 previously defined sense, chemically bound by the cells of the organism. We 

 are obliged to adopt the view that the protoplasm is equipped with certain atomic 

 groups, whose function especially consists in fixing to themselves certain food- 

 stuffs of importance to the cell-life." We may assume that the protoplasm 

 consists of a special executive center, in connection with which are nutritive 

 side-chains, which possess a certain degree of independence and which may 

 differ from one another according to the requirements of the different cells. 

 And as these side-chains have the office of attaching to themselves certain 

 food-stufifs, we must also assume an atom-grouping in these food-stu£[s them- 

 selves, every group uniting with a corresponding combining group of a side-chain. 



Fig. 19. — Shows how the haptophores having united, the toxophores find a sec- 

 ondary adaptation to the cell, and so can poison it (after Ehrlich) (Hewlett). 



The relationship of the corresponding groups, i.e., those of the food-stuff and 

 those of the cell, must be specific. They must be adapted to one another, as, 

 e.g., male a,nd female screw (Pasteur), or as lock and key (E. Fischer). From 

 this point of view, w'e must contemplate the relation of the toxin in the cell." 



"We have already shown that the toxins possess for the antitoxins an attaching 

 haptophore group, which accords entirely in its nature with the conditions we 

 have ascribed to the relation existing between the food-stuffs and the cell side- 

 chains. And the relation between toxin and cell ceases to be shrouded in mystery 

 if we adopt the view that the haptophore groups of the toxins are molecular 

 groups fitted to unite not only with the antitoxins, but also with the side-chains 

 of the cells, and that it is by their agency that the toxin becomes anchored to 

 the cells." 



"We do not, however, require to suppose that the side-chains, which fit the 

 haptophore group of the toxins, that is, the side-chains which are toxophile, 

 represent something having no function in the normal cell economy. On the 

 contrary, there is sufficient evidence that the toxophile side-chains are the same 

 as those which have to do with the taking up of the food-stuffs by the protoplasm. 

 The toxins are, in opposition to other poisons, of extremely complex structure, 

 standing in their origin and chemical constitution in very close relationship to 

 the profeids and their nearest derivatives. It is, therefore, not surprising that 

 they possess a haptophore group corresponding with that of a food-stuS. Along- 

 side of the binding haptophore group, which conditions their union to the 

 protoplasm, the toxins are possessed of a second group, which in regard to the 

 cell is not only useless but actually injurious. And we remember that in the 

 case of the diphtheria toxin there was reason to believe that there existed along- 

 8 



