Page:Defensive Ferments of the Animal Organism (3rd edition).djvu/108

 introduce into an animal a large amount of white of egg, there is no doubt that unaltered protein passes into the circulation. It is also possible that peptones are absorbed, which still have the specific structure of the white of egg. This transfer may be ascertained by the so-called biological reactions, precipitin reaction, &c., but chiefly and most exactly by demonstration of the existence of peptolytic ferments in the circulation. If, after a certain interval, white of egg is once more introduced by either parenteral or enteral means—in the latter case the supply must be very copious—the state of shock is obtained. Seeing that harmonious fats, as we have already mentioned, also produce in the circulation an increased power of splitting fats, it is rather difficult to determine whether disharmonious fatty products give rise to a definite specific activity. Further experiments will be needed to determine this point.

Finally, we have also made injections of nucleo-proteids, nucleins, and nucleic acids, introducing them into the organism in such a way as to prevent them passing through the intestine. We found that, after introduction of these bodies, ferments appear in the blood plasma in increased quantity, and quickly reduce these substances (see also Lit. 21). Moreover, it could be shown that it was possible, by means of