THERAPEUTICS

(68) Prote,in·Therapy. The results of the accidental and therapeuticintroduction of foreign proteins and of certain salts into the bodies of man and other animals is discussedby F'. Widal, Pierre Abrami and E. Brissaudin La Presse Medicale, March 5, 1921. Heemophllia, paroxysmal hremoglobinuria, purpura, urticaria, migraine, asthma, typhoid and other infections have been successfully treated by the introduction of foreign proteins by oral, subcutaneousor intravenousadministration.Horse serum, humanserum,peptoneand whole blood have all been used with successin the treatment and prevention of hsemophilia, purpura and paroxysmalheemoglobinuria. Protein-therapy produces anaphylactic shock in an animal previously sensitized to a protein. In an animal not previously sensitized to a protein, proteintherapy produces shock, practically identical in its clinical manifestations with anaphylactic shock. Besredka showed that anaphylactic shock could be prevented (i.e., anti-anaphylaxis induced) in a sensitized animal, by giving small dosesof the offending protein (horse serum). Further,both human and animal subjects can be protected against protein anaphylaxis by the injection of non-specificsubstances, e.a., another protein, such as peptone, or sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, bile salts, lecithin, etc.. Peptone administered one hour before meals has prevented attacks of urticaria, migraine and asthma. These reactions depend on the modifications produced in the colloid equilibrium of the body fluids and are not specific. Desensitization has been produced inpatients sensitive to milk, pollens and animal emanattons, by repeated fractional doses of the. causal substance. Intravenous injection of a foreign protein suddenlyalters the colloidal equilibrium of the bodytluids and causes shock. Colloidal metals; given intravenously in the treatment of infections, also cause shock by' altering the colloidal stateof the blood, and somecrystalloids have been shown to produce the same effect. The favourable effects of protein-therapyare said to be due to increase of phagocytic power of leucocytes, liberation of great quantities of antibodies or physical changes in the body tluids. The authors consider that the physical changeswhich take place, the agglutination of organisms with leucocytes, the concentration of leucocytes in visceral capillaries, with intense phagocytosis, and leucopeenia, all due to the alteration in' the colloid equilibrium of the blood, are sufficient to accountfor the therapeuticeffect.