Phylaxis / by G. Billard ; translated by G. Gainsborough.

  • Billard, Gabriel, 1873-1929.
Date:
1931
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Phylaxis / by G. Billard ; translated by G. Gainsborough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    formolised toxin of which we have no precise physico- chemical knowledge, and I do not prejudice the case in referring to it simply as a complex. I knew that anatomists had, for a long time, preferred the use of formalin to any other fixing agent for the purpose of hardening the brain. Consequently I have wondered if formalin has a particular affinity for the nervous system, and if, when the complex formolised toxin is injected into the organism, it perhaps splits in such a way that the formalin impregnates the nervous system in vivo and so hinders the fixation of the neurotoxin, just as with sparteine. This of course is all hypothesis and perhaps could be put to the proof. On December the 16th I injected four guinea-pigs as follows : A. —With a mixture, in the syringe, of uroformine (Gobey) in a dose of 30 mg. per 100 g. of body weight and of sparteine sulphate in a dose of 10 mg. per 100 g. body weight. Death followed in 45 minutes. B. —With uroformine in the same dose, but given 15 minutes before the sparteine was injected. The animal survived without symptoms. C. —With uroformine 15 minutes after injec- tion of sparteine sulphate. Death followed in 20 minutes. D. —Control with sparteine only. Death followed in 45 minutes. I have repeated this series of tests and always obtained