The Principles of Pathology; General Pathology

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 Excerpt: ...whereby it anchors itself on to the cell substance, so we must imagine that the cell molecule has not one but several orders of "anchors," whereby it attracts and combines with itself all the various orders of foodstuffs. The cell molecule, that is, also possesses haptophores, which, in this case, Ehriich terms receptors; and it is to some special order of anchor 1 Munch, med. Woch., 1898: 321 and 362. Text-book of Bacteriology, third edition, loc. cit. that the haptophore of the toxin molecule becomes attached. These receptors, it will be seen from what we have said regarding the constitution of the proteidogenous or biophoric molecule, are side-chains (p. 50); and certain orders of unsatisfied side-chains must be regarded as having affinity for, attracting and combining themselves with the toxin molecules. Nay, more, it is with one particular portion of the toxin molecule (the haptophorous) that the combination is effected; these may or may not have a toxophorous moiety. That is not concerned in the act of combination, but, when present, after the combination has taken place, it may so affect the total constitution of the molecule as to lead to grave cell disturbances. This is the groundwork of Ehrlich's now celebrated "side-chain theory," and up to this point we think our readers will agree with us that the theory is well grounded upon experimental data, and is strictly in harmony with our general conceptions of cell activity. But this simply carries us to the point at which the toxin has become associated with the cell substance. We have simply reached the point at which the toxin, unless too strong for the cell, or unless too many toxins have become joined on to the receptors of a given cell, is neutralized. We may speak of such neu...