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TENTH LECTURE.

Poisons Produced by Micro-organisms Continued.

In my last lecture I be^an speaking of the poisons
formed by micro-organisms, and how these produced dis-
ease, and spoke particularly of the enzymes and the produc-
tion of pus by the solution of the plastic exudates thrown out
in inflammatory processes, explaining in some degree the
mode of pus formation as we see it in abscesses in the mouth
and elsewhere. Pus formation is the principal condition
brought about by the enzymes of micro-organisms, so far
as we now know. The general production of disease is at-
tributed to the leucomaines, the toxins and the tox-albumens.
These, you will remember, are produced by the physiological
processes of these plants and do not differ essentially from
fhe poisons produced by the physiological processes of the
higher plants, or even the physiological processes of the
higher animals.
I wish to speak this morning more especially of these
poisons. If from any fault in the performance of the
physiological function of the kidneys urea is not eliminated,
the animal quickly dies. This is brought about by the ac-
cumulation of urea in the blood—then we say the animal has
uremia. A state of poisoning afifecting the nerve centers
quickly supervenes.
I might relate an incident which came under my own
observation some years ago. A man had a pistol shot
through his ankle ; the ball was lodged just beneath the skin,
having passed almost through. It was removed and the
man put to bed ; not a very robust man, but apparently in
fair physical health we did not suspect any disease. About
;
midnight that night the nurse found him up stumping
around on that lame foot, apparently insane, and early the
next morning he was dead. The death was somewhat of a
surprise. I made a post-mortem, and in that post-mortem I
found a disease of the kidneys, which, in the lowered vitality,
the depression occasioned by the gun shot was sufficient to
prevent the elimination of the urea by the kidneys, and the
collection of urea in the blood produced its effect upon the

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