54 



Scientific Proceedings (71). 



32 (1096) 



Studies on so-called protective ferments — X. Some suggestions 

 as to the etiology and treatment of eclampsia. 



By J. Bronfenbrenner. 



[From the Research Laboratories of the Western Pennsylvania 

 Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pa.] 



Preliminary communication 



Many theories concerning the etiology of eclampsia have been 

 advanced. For certain of them there is more or less experimental 

 and clinical evidence. The treatment, however, remains purely 

 empirical. Each theory has as its basis that the eclamptic seizure 

 is due to toxin developed as the result of pregnancy. As to the 

 origin of this toxin, the authors vary to as great a degree as do the 

 theories. The development of this toxin may be due to: 



(a) A growing ovum and its metabolic products. 



(b) Functional changes in the liver resulting from pregnancy. 



(c) General metabolism being affected during pregnancy with the 



result that the food stuffs are not cared for properly. 



(d) The advent of the study of parenteral digestion of foreign 



protein by specific ferments suggested another possibility 

 that the toxins originate from the detached elements of the 

 placenta as a result of their specific parenteral digestion. 

 The numerous attempts that were made to demonstrate by 

 experiment the presence of this toxin in the blood were not suc- 

 cessful. My recent experiments 1, 2 have demonstrated that 

 pregnant serum can be rendered toxic to homologous animals by 

 being kept for a definite time in contact with placental tissue. 

 The toxic symptoms produced by the introduction of such a serum 

 into an experimental animal closely resemble those generally 

 known as anaphylactic shock. On the other hand, the injection 

 of soluble placental protein into the blood circulation of pregnant 

 guinea-pigs produces similar symptoms. 3 Further experiments 



1 Bronfenbrenner, Bioch. Bull., 1914, IV, No. 13, p. 87. 



2 Bronfenbrenner, Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol, and Med., 1914, Vol. XII, p. 48. 

 ' Bronfenbrenner, Journ. Exp. Med., 1915, XXI, p. 480. 



