Am*sJe°PT'i^9rm  J"    Uranium  as  an  Industrial  Poison.  633 
poisonous  and  produce  glucosuria  when  injected  subcutaneously, 
even  in  small  doses."  Our  previous  knowledge  of  this  drug,  now 
adequately  supported  by  the  work  of  Karsner,.  should  lead  the  next 
Revision  Committee  to  omit  the  drug  from  the  Pharmacopoeia. 
DETOXICATED  VACCINES.1 
The  living  tissues  of  man  and  animals  possess  the  inherent  power 
of  manufacturing  specific  antisubstances  against  germs  when  at- 
tacked by  them.  This  peculiar  power  is  so  highly  specialized  that 
the  antisubstance  produced  acts  only  against  the  infecting  germ,  and 
not  against  any  other  species.  An  "  antigen  "  is  a  substance  which, 
when  injected  into  the  living  tissues,  stimulates  the  production  of  an 
"  antibody  "  towards  itself.  Each  species  of  germ,  alive  or  dead,  is, 
therefore,  a  "  specific  antigen/'  for  when  the  dead  organisms — i.e., 
a  vaccine— are  injected,  the  tissues  immediately  react  and  com- 
mence to  manufacture  at  once  the  antisubstances  which  destroy  the 
germ,  or  which  neutralize  the  toxins  it  develops,  and  upon  this 
action  vaccine  therapy  is  based.  However,  the  germs  are  so  toxic, 
either  by  reason  of  the  exotoxins  which  they  excrete,  or  of  the 
endotoxins  which  remain  enclosed  within  the  stroma  of  the  germ 
itself,  that  only  small  amounts  of  their  dead  bodies — i.e.,  vaccine — 
could  be  injected,  and  so  the  amount  of  antisubstances  produced  was 
limited  by  the  toxicity  of  the  germ,  thus  limiting  appreciably  the 
effectiveness  of  vaccine  therapy.  To  Captain  David  Thomson, 
R.A.M.C.,  belongs  the  honor  of  having  made  a  discovery  which  may 
have  far-reaching  effects  on  the  future  of  curative  as  well  as  pre- 
ventive medicine,  by  increasing  the  effectiveness  of  vaccine  therapy. 
In  the  course  of  his  investigations2  he  found  that  the  gonococcus  was 
extremely  soluble  in  a  weak  alkaline  solution  (N/10  or  N/20 
sodium  hydroxide),  but  was  entirely  insoluble  in  weak  acids.  Fur- 
ther research  showed  that  the  meningococci,  B.  typhosus,  B.  Fried- 
lander  and  B.  influenza?  (Pfeiffer),  were  all  very  soluble  in  weak 
alkalies.  On  the  other  hand,  Gram-positive  organisms,  such  as 
staphylococci,  streptococci,  pneumococci,  etc.,  resisted  the  action  of 
iV-sodium  hydroxide  solution.    Further  investigations  led  to  the 
1  Reprinted  from  the  Chemist  and  Druggist,  July  5,  1919. 
2  Lancet,  June  28,  1919. 
