94 BACTERIOLOGY. 
favorable conditions by all bacterial poisons. The first 
requisite is that sufficient poison be absorbed; but, on the 
other hand, it must not be absorbed with such rapidity as 
to overwhelm the injected animal, for a moderate dose 
may raise the temperature, while a very large dose 
lowers it, as occurs sometimes when a very large sur- 
face, such as the peritoneum, is suddenly involved. 
Centanni’ obtained through warmth and alcohol 
from the bodies of bacteria a substance called pyro- 
toxin, which was with difficulty dialyzed. From dif- 
ferent bacteria not only the physiological but also the 
chemical properties of the pyrotoxin were the same. 
Not only did this cause fever, but also, when persisted 
in, it produced emaciation, quickened heart-action, 
apathy, dyspnea, ete. 
The bacterial poisons produce an increase in the 
number of leucocytes and a lessening in the amount of 
hemoglobin in the blood. The deleterious effects on 
the nutrition are partly due to the direct effect of the 
poison and partly to the diseased conditions of the 
organs of the body, such as the spleen, kidney, and 
liver. Degeneration of the nerve cells is frequently 
noticed after infectious diseases; especially is this true 
of diphtheria. Several bacterial poisons have been 
found to produce convulsions; the best example of this 
is the tetanus toxin. 
The true bacterial poisons are, as already stated, 
neither alkaloids. nor albumins. Some of them, such 
as the diphtheria and tetanus toxins, are peculiar in 
their effects, while others, such as those produced by 
the pneumococcus and streptococcus, can scarcely be 
distinguished. They are destroyed by heat at 70° C. 
1 Deutsche med. Wochenschrift, 1894, Nos. 7 and 8. 
