^4 TOXINS AND ANTITOXINS. 



destroy, toxins that are artificially introduced into 

 the circulation. 



Alban^se * maintains that the function of the 

 suprarenal capsules is to neutralize neurine, the 

 toxic product of the disassimilation of the nervous 

 system; this view, however, is opposed by Boinetf 

 and Langlois.J On the contrary, it has been defi- 

 nitely proven that the suprarenal glands exert a 

 specific action on the poisons of muscular origin. 

 Abelous and Langlois § have in fact demon- 

 strated that the alcoholic extract of the muscle 

 of a decapsulated animal has the same properties 

 as the extract of tetanized muscle ; the decapsulated 

 animal gives ergographic tracings analogous to those 

 afforded by tetanized animals. The removal of the 

 suprarenal capsule from an animal brings results, 

 hence, analogous to those of fatigue — that is to say, 

 that the toxic substances which accumulate as a 

 result of the decapsulation resemble those that 

 result from muscular exertion. The suprarenal 

 capsules exert their action furthermore on other 

 toxic products as well, as Guieysse|| has shown, 

 and particularly on the exogenous poisons. In 



♦ Alban&se: Recherches sur les fonctions des capstdes 

 surr^nales. Arch. Italiennes Biol., 1892. 



t Boinet: Compt. rend. Soc. de Biol., Mch. 1896, 



X See Compt. rend, de Biol, et Arch. Physiologie, 1891-1897. 



§ Langlois: Thfese de doctorat en M6d., Paris, 1897. 



II Guieysse: Les capsules surr^nales du cohaye, ThSse, Paris, 

 1901, 



