1892.] On the Causation of Diphtheritic Paralysis. 79 



two albnmoses or digested proteids, proto- and deutero-albumose, 

 giving the same chemical reactions as the albnmoses of peptic diges- 

 tion, and (2) of an organic acid, which is solnble in absolute alcohol 

 and in water, to a less extent soluble in amyl alcohol, and insoluble 

 in ether, chloroform, or benzene. There is no base or alkaloid present. 

 Owing to the small quantities in which this acid was obtained, a 

 more detailed chemical examination was not possible. 



Physiological Action of the Albnmoses. — When injected into the 

 circulation of a healthy rabbit these albumoses produce fever. If a 

 single dose only be given, the fever subsides, and the animal remains 

 apparently well for months. A single dose, however, may kill in a 

 few hours. 



Repeated doses of the albumoses, besides producing fever, cause a 

 paralysis which may come on in two days, but more often is evident 

 in six or seven days, and may be delayed for twenty days if the dose 

 is small. 



The total doses given were between 0*083 gram and 0"157 gram 

 per kilo, of body -weight in rabbits weighing between 1000 and 2000 

 grams. 



The paralysis is not complete, but is a paresis, and is not accom- 

 panied by any special wasting of the paralysed parts. The paralysis 

 is progressive, and, if the dose be large enough (over 0*1 gram per 

 kilo, of body weight), the animal dies in syncope with either slow or 

 quickened respiration. 



The animals that do not die, but show paralysis, may have 

 syncopal attacks, with an affection of the respiration ; but they 

 recover from these. 



Five animals were used for experiment, and they all showed the 

 same symptoms, including a loss of body weight, which is proportional 

 to the dose of the albumoses. 



A post-mortem examination of these animals showed that the blood 

 was slow in coagulating with the largest doses. Bacteria were absent 

 from the blood and tissues, and in only one case was any oedema (of 

 the abdominal w T all) found. 



After staining with osmic acid and counterstaining with borax- 

 carmine, the nerves were found extensively degenerated, while the 

 spinal cord, spinal ganglia, and brain were normal. 



The degeneration of the nerves is what has been described by 

 Gombault* in his experiments on lead poisoning as " un nevrite- 

 segmentaire periaxile," or a segmental degeneration. 



This degeneration affects a segment of the nerve ; the fibres at that 

 part lose their white substance of Schwann, and the axis cylinders 

 become attenuated, and, in many cases, ruptured. If the axis cylinder 



* ' Archives de Pkysiologie,' 1880-81, p. 11. 



