Chemical pathology : being a discussion of general pathology from the standpoint of the chemical processes involved / by H. Gideon Wells.

  • Wells, H. Gideon (Harry Gideon), 1875-1943.
Date:
1918
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Chemical pathology : being a discussion of general pathology from the standpoint of the chemical processes involved / by H. Gideon Wells. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    eases, such as typhoid and septicemia. Schumm noted great auto- lytic activity in a swollen spleen from a case of perityphlitis. Histological changes are produced by autolysis in the organs after death that are, as might be expected, much like those seen in necrotic areas.11 At first the changes resemble those of parenchymatous de- generation (cloudy swelling), and often there is an apparent increase in fat, which is probably due to liberation of masked fat through the destruction of the protein.12 Nuclear staining is lost (karyolysis), and eventually even cell forms become indistinguishable, but this does not ordinarily become complete in autolysis without bacterial com- plication. (See p. 99 on chemical changes of postmortem autolysis.) Still-born children that have been carried for some time after death usually show considerable disintegration of the viscera, especially the liver. This is undoubtedly due to autolysis, which Schlesinger 13 has shown can begin before birth if the fetus dies in utero. Autolysis in Relation to Infection.—According to Conradi14 the substances produced in tissue autolysis have a decided inhibiting effect upon bacteria, which apparently depends upon the antiseptic proper- ties of the aromatic derivatives that are split out of the protein mole- cule in autolysis. This action is manifested not only in vitro, but the autolytic products will also render harmless lethal doses of certain bacteria if they are injected simultaneously with the bacteria into an animal. One specific class of products of autolysis which is strongly bactericidal is the soaps.15 It may well be questioned, however, whether enough of these substances ever accumulates in infected tissues during intra vitam autolysis to have much effect upon the in- fecting bacteria; yet this property may possibly explain the steriliza- tion of old pus collections and similar infected accumulations within the body. The bacteria themselves also produce autolytic products that are powerfully bactericidal. (See “Bacteria,” Chap, iv.) Blum16 found that the autolytic products of lymph-glands neu- tralized tetanus toxin, but were inactive against diphtheria toxin and cobra venom. Products from other autolyzed organs and from fresh lymph-glands were without influence on the tetanus toxin. The anti- toxic principles of the autolytic product were destroyed by heating, weakened by acids and alkalies, and in other respects showed prop- erties strikingly like those of true antitoxin. It is quite possible that bacterial toxins may be destroyed by autolytic enzymes, for Baldwin 11 More fully discussed by Wells, Jour. Med. Kesearch, 1906 (15), 149. 12 Siegert (Hofmeister’s Beitr., 1901 (1), 114) found no actual increase in fats and fatty acids in autolysis even when an increase was apparent histologically, although ether-soluble materials of other nature than fat may be increased. See also Hess and Saxl, Virchow’s Arch., 1910 (202), 149. is Hofmeister’s Beitr., 1903 (4), 87. i4 Hofmeister’s Beitr., 1901 (1), 193. See also Bilancioni «4a and Almagia 87b. is See Lamar, Jour. Exp. Med., 1911 (13), 1 I® Hofmeister’s Beitr., 1904 (5), 142.