﻿The 
  Biological 
  Significance 
  of 
  Anaphylaxis. 
  

  

  141 
  

  

  immunity, 
  mainly 
  in 
  the 
  distribution 
  of 
  the 
  specific 
  antibody 
  between 
  the 
  

   tissue-cells 
  and 
  the 
  circulating 
  fluids, 
  and 
  to 
  regard 
  the 
  anaphylactic 
  

   symptoms 
  as 
  being 
  caused 
  by 
  the 
  interaction 
  between 
  antigen 
  and 
  antibody 
  

   occurring 
  in 
  the 
  cells 
  of 
  vital 
  organs. 
  As 
  regards 
  the 
  phenomena 
  seen 
  in 
  

   the 
  guinea-pig, 
  I 
  believe 
  this 
  view 
  is 
  gradually 
  winning 
  acceptance. 
  In 
  the 
  

   case 
  of 
  other 
  species 
  the 
  evidence 
  is 
  less 
  complete 
  and 
  the 
  position 
  less 
  clear. 
  

   Leyton, 
  Leyton, 
  and 
  Sowton,* 
  and 
  also 
  Manwaring,+ 
  have 
  maintained 
  that 
  in 
  

   the 
  rabbit 
  the 
  evidence 
  points 
  to 
  an 
  interaction 
  of 
  antigen 
  and 
  antibody 
  in 
  

   the 
  blood-stream 
  as 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  the 
  symptoms 
  of 
  intoxication. 
  In 
  the 
  dog, 
  

   on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  essential 
  role 
  of 
  the 
  liver 
  in 
  the 
  anaphylactic 
  

   reaction 
  had 
  been 
  demonstrated 
  by 
  Manwaring, 
  the 
  experiments 
  of 
  Weil* 
  

   seem 
  to 
  point 
  to 
  a 
  sensitization 
  either 
  of 
  the 
  intrinsic 
  liver 
  cells 
  or 
  of 
  the 
  

   endothelial 
  cells 
  of 
  liver 
  capillaries, 
  since 
  local 
  introduction 
  of 
  the 
  antigen, 
  

   into 
  one 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  portal 
  vein, 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  cause 
  a 
  local 
  reaction,, 
  

   confined 
  to 
  the 
  corresponding 
  lobe 
  of 
  the 
  liver. 
  

  

  Eather, 
  however, 
  than 
  discuss 
  all 
  the 
  evidence 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  

   anaphylactic 
  reaction 
  in 
  other 
  species, 
  which 
  would 
  require 
  more 
  time 
  than 
  

   I 
  have 
  at 
  disposal, 
  I 
  desire 
  to 
  invite 
  your 
  attention 
  to 
  some 
  points 
  of 
  a 
  more 
  

   general 
  interest, 
  which 
  arise 
  from 
  the 
  conception 
  of 
  the 
  anaphylactic 
  reaction 
  

   which 
  I 
  have 
  put 
  before 
  you. 
  

  

  "We 
  have 
  seen 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  good 
  reason 
  for 
  regarding 
  anaphylaxis 
  as 
  a 
  

   phase 
  in 
  the 
  production 
  of 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  immunity 
  associated 
  with 
  the 
  precipitin 
  

   reaction. 
  This 
  represents 
  a 
  mechanism 
  of 
  defence 
  against 
  the 
  incorporation 
  

   into 
  the 
  tissues 
  of 
  proteins 
  differing 
  in 
  type 
  from 
  those 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  

   species. 
  Proteins 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  ordinary 
  way 
  as 
  food 
  are 
  broken 
  in 
  the 
  

   intestine 
  into 
  their 
  constituent 
  amino-acids, 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  body 
  can 
  again 
  

   elaborate 
  its 
  characteristic 
  proteins. 
  When 
  an 
  alien 
  protein 
  gains 
  accidental 
  

   or 
  artificial 
  access 
  to 
  the 
  circulation 
  without 
  undergoing 
  this 
  cleavage, 
  the 
  

   body 
  slowly 
  forms 
  proteins 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  colloid 
  particles 
  exhibit, 
  with 
  those 
  

   of 
  the 
  alien 
  protein, 
  the 
  phenomenon 
  of 
  mutual 
  aggregation. 
  If 
  the 
  same 
  

   foreign 
  protein 
  is 
  again 
  introduced 
  the 
  defensive 
  mechanism 
  is 
  ready, 
  and 
  

   aggregation 
  occurs 
  at 
  once. 
  It 
  is 
  highly 
  probable 
  that 
  this 
  process 
  is 
  the 
  

   preliminary 
  to 
  hydrolysis 
  and 
  elimination, 
  for 
  such 
  injection 
  of 
  a 
  foreign 
  

   protein, 
  into 
  an 
  animal 
  prepared 
  by 
  previous 
  injections, 
  is 
  followed 
  by 
  an 
  

   increased 
  output 
  of 
  nitrogen 
  in 
  the 
  urine, 
  considerably 
  in 
  excess 
  of 
  that 
  

   corresponding 
  to 
  the 
  protein 
  injected. 
  If 
  the 
  proteins 
  specially 
  modified 
  to- 
  

   produce 
  this 
  defensive 
  aggregation 
  are 
  located 
  in 
  the 
  cells 
  of 
  vital 
  organs, 
  

  

  * 
  ' 
  Journ. 
  of 
  Physiol.,' 
  vol. 
  50, 
  p. 
  265 
  (1916). 
  

  

  t 
  'Trans. 
  Soc. 
  Exp. 
  Biol, 
  and 
  Med.,' 
  vol. 
  13, 
  p. 
  173 
  (1916). 
  

  

  \ 
  ' 
  Journ. 
  Immun.,' 
  vol. 
  2, 
  p. 
  525 
  (1917). 
  

   VOL. 
  XCI. 
  — 
  B. 
  M 
  

  

  