On the nature, action, and therapeutic value of the active principles of tuberculin : an investigation / by William Hunter.

  • Hunter, William, 1861-1937.
Date:
1891
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the nature, action, and therapeutic value of the active principles of tuberculin : an investigation / by William Hunter. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    is certainly not absolutely necessary for the manifestation of its remedial action. It is in some cases, however, beneficial, and helps, under certain circumstances, the action of the remedial substance. 8. The difference between the substance which causes the inflammation and the one which possesses the remedial properties as regards their action is not merely one of degree. The local reaction which occurs with small doses of the former is much greater than that producible by large doses of the latter. 9. Nevertheless the remedial substance has as truly a local action as the one which tends to produce inflamma- tion. This is evidenced in two ways—first, by distinct and obvious shrinking of the tuberculous tissues; and, secondly, increased scaling, pointing to the existence of a certain amount of deep local congestion. In some cases this congestion becomes obvious by slight superficial red- dening. 10. The power of favouring recurrence, which tuber- culin possesses, is connected partly with the non-albumi- nous substances removable by dialysis, possibly also with a portion of the albumoses present. 11. The remedial substance resists the action of high temperatures.. Its action is, however, lessened if exposed to a temperature above 70° C. in a dry condition. Its properties, moreover, can be altered in other ways, some- times, for example, materially by dialysis. This change is not due to the passage of the substance through the mem- brane as stated by Koch, hut to changes occurring in it within the dialyser. Its sensitiveness in this respect I regard as one of its chief features, and causes its prepara- tion to be attended with special difficulties. 12. Both it and the other albumoses present probably belong to the class of proteins—albuminous substances