Serums, vaccines and toxines in treatment and diagnosis.

  • Bosanquet, W. Cecil (William Cecil), 1866-1941.
Date:
1904
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Serums, vaccines and toxines in treatment and diagnosis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    All these phenomena of immunity to, and recovery from, infective diseases have to be explained on any theory that claims to explain the method of its production. Phagocytosis.—The first theory of resistance to disease on lines of vital action, if it may be so called, was that of Metchnikoff, who studied the behaviour of the white blood- corpuscles (leucocytes) in many of the lower animals, and attributed the destruction of bacteria in the body to tIn- activity of these cells. This was the well-known theory of phagocytosis (<fiayi~ivt to eat; kvtog, a cell). According to Mctchnikoffj the leucocytes attack and devour any invad- ing organisms which they may meet, and thus rid the body of these parasites, just as they may be Been to take into their Bub8tance particles of any foreign matter which comes in their way. When they have swallowed and thus destroyed all the bacteria which have gained a footing in the body, the disease necessarily comes to an end. The careful and minute study Carried out by the French observer cannot be too much admired, and then- ran be no doubt that it contains a large proportion of truth. Thus, the assemblage of leucocytes which takes place at any focus of irritation is almost certainly protective in character ; and it has been shown by Kanthack and others that the granules contained in the protoplasm of the leucocytes consist of substances which tend to combat the bacteria and stop their growth. But in man, at all events, this phagocytic action is not the most important factor in the struggle with the invading germs. Leucocytes, by means of their power of swallowing foreign bodies, may play a subordinate role, carrying away the products of inflammation (broken- down cells, itc), and at times they may actually engulf the germs themselves. Indeed, in this latter case it is possible that they may not unfrequently do actual harm instead of good, as they may thus carry living bacteria into the tissues, and spread, instead of preventing, the disease. On the whole, they may be said to act while alive rather as scavengers than as a defensive garrison in the human c