E D I T O R I A L 3 2 5

gens enter in particularly large amounts and at in- frequent intervals, then the animal or man may become profoundly sensitized and the subsequent ingestion of even small amounts of antigen is likely to produce allergic manifestations, shock and even death. It is possible that the normal absorption of small amounts of unchanged proteins may serve the useful purpose of constantly maintaining the body in a state of immuni- zation against the ingestion of too large an amount of these substances. When the defense mechanism fails to act and antigens enter the blood stream in large amounts disease-producing hypersensitiveness may re- sult.

Bret Ratner, New York City. Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Lecturer in Ira-

munology, New York Univ., College of Medicine.

REFERENCES 1. Rosenau , M. J . , and Anderson , J . F . : A s tudy of t he cause of

sudden dea th fo l lowing the in jec t ion of horse s e rum. Fe e d ing e x p e r i m e n t s . Hyg. Lab. Bull. U. S. P. H. S., 29:67, 1906.

2. V a n Alys tyne , E. v. N . : The abso rp t ion of p ro t e in w i thou t d iges- t ion. Arch. Int. Med., 12:372, 1913.

3. R a t n e r , B. : A possible causa l f a c t o r of food a l l e rgy in ce r t a in in- f an t s . Am. J. Dis. Child., 36:277, 1928.

4. R a t n e r , B . : P lacen ta l t r a n s m i s s i o n of a l i m e n t a r y a n a p h y l a x i s . Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. and Med., 30:88, 1932.

5. Mills, C. A. ; Dors t , S. E. ; Mynchenbe rg , G., and N a k a y a m a , J . : Abso rp t i on f r o m the i n t e s t i ne and exc re t ion t h r o u g h the k idney of an una l t e r ed complex p ro t e in subs tance , t i s sue i lb r inogen . Am. J. Physiol., 63:484, 1923.

6. I-Iektoen, L. ; Kana i , P. H., and Drags t ed t , L. R . : A s tudy of p ro t e in absorp t ion f r o m the d iges t ive t r a c t by the p r e c i p i t i n tes t , w i t h especial r e f e r e n c e to thyroglobu] in . J . A. M. A., 84:114, 1925.

7. H a m b u r g e r , F., and Sperk , B. : Biologische U n t e r s u c h u n g e n / iber E i w e i s s r e s o r p t i o n von D a r m aus . Wien. klin. Wchnschr., 17:641, 1904.

8. I t e t t w e r , J . P. , and Kriz . R. A . : Abso rp t i on of und iges t ed p ro te in f r o m the a l i m e n t a r y t r a c t as de t e rmined by the d i rec t a n a p b y - laxis tes t . Am. J. Physiol., 73:539, 1925.

H e t t w e r , J . P., and K r i z - H e t t w e r : F u r t h e r obse rva t ions on the absorp t ion of und iges ted prote in . Am. J. Physiol.. 78:136, 1926.

9. Bes redka , A . : De l ' a n a p h y l a x i e lact ique. Ann. Inst. Pasteur, 23:166, 1919.

10. B e r n a r d , L., and P a r a f , f t . : Acc iden ts de la s6 ro thg rap ie a n t i t ube r - culeuse p a r le s~ rum de Vall~e. Bull. Soc. d'etudes sc~ent, sur la tuberc., 1:64, 19]1.

11. R a t n e r . B., and Gruehl , HI. L . : P a s s a g e of N a t i v e p ro t e in s t h r o u g h the n o r m a l g a s t r o - i n t e s t i n a l wall. J. Clin. Investigation, 13:517, 1934.

12. Ande r son , A. F., and Schloss, O. M . : Al le rgy to cow ' s m i l k in in- f a n t s w i t h n u t r i t i o n a l d i sorders . Am. J. Dis. Child., 26:451, 1923.

DuBois , R. O. ; Schlnss, O. M., and Myers , C . : The deve lopmen t of cu taneous h y p e r s e n s i t i v e ~ e s s fo l lowing the in te s t ina l absorl~- t ion of a n t i g e n i c pro te in . Proc. Soc. Expcr. Biol. and Med., 23:176, 1925.

Anderson , A. F . ; Schloss, O. M., and Myers , C . : The in tes t ina l abso rp t ion of a n t i g e n i c p ro te in by n o r m a l i n f a n t s . Ibid., 23:180, 1925.

13. Walze r , M . : S tudies in ab so rn t i on of und iges ted p ro te ins in h u m a n be ings . 1. A s imp le d i rec t me thod of s t u d y i n g the ab- so rp t ion of und iges t ed pro te in . J. Immunol., 14:143, 1927.

B r u n n e r , M., and Walzer , M. : Abso rp t i on of und iges t ed p ro te ins in h u m a n beings_ The abso rp t ion of una l te red fish p ro t e in s in adults . Arch. Int. Med., 42:172, 1928.

S u s s m a n , I . i . ; Davidson . A., and Walzer . M . : Abso r p t i on of un- d iges ted p ro te ins in h u m a n be ings . I I I . The absorp t ion of un- a l tered e g g p ro te in in adults . Ibid., 42:409, 1928.

14. Wells, H . G. : S tudies in the c h e m i s t r y of an~aphylaxis. I I I . Ex- p e r i m e n t s w i t h isolated p ro te ins , especial ly those of the hen ' s egg . J. Infect,. Dis., 9 :I47, 1911.

[5. Larocbe , G. ; Richet , Ch. ills, and Sa in t -Gi rons , F. : A n a p h y l a x i e a l i m e n t a i r e lact~e. Compt. rend. Soc. Biol., 70:169, 1911. Arch. de reed. expdr., 23:643, 1911.

A n a p b y l a x i e et i m m u n i t 6 a l i m e n t a i r e s exp~r imen ta l e s ~ l 'ovoalbum- ine. Compt. re~d. Soc. de Biol., 74:87, 1913.

L ' a n a p h y l a x i e a l i m e n t a i r e a u x oeufs. Arch. de reed. expdr.. 26:51, 1914.

BREVITY

T HIS Journal endeavors to make its columns avail- able to clinicians and investigators who have

something valuable to present to its twenty thousand, monthly readers. Further, the Journal is making a determined effort to print submitted, worth-while manuscripts promptly.

Each issue of this publication contains in excess of 60,000 words of text, an unusually large volume of material in a monthly periodical. This generous al- lowance is made possible by the Journal 's large page. However, even this issue-size has become too limited to take care of manuscripts according to our policy. In consequence, constantly a large number of excellent papers await allotment to future numbers.

Upon analyzing certain submitted manuscripts, one finds them, to put in mildly, extremely "wordy." Not alone do some authors attempt to cover too much ground but, in doing so, they are very generous with language. Too literally do certain authors interpret Carlyle's "Produce! Produce! Were it but the pitiful- lest, infinitesimal fraction of a product, produce it, in God's name!"

Reviews of literature, case histories, long tabula- tions, musings and deductions--all, to be sure, of vast interest to individual authors, even if not necessary or fascinating to the general, or even the special reader--- demand a veritable tower (not infrequently "Babel" in character) of words and consume valuable page space, space costly to print and, we admit, jealously surrendered when a huge pile of manuscripts cries out for placement.

In order that the Journal's policy of prompt publi- cation, high standard of text and sightliness of format be maintained, we urge upon those who contemplate submitting manuscripts, that, before sending them, they re-read them frequently with the object of elimin- ating every unnecessary word, sentence, tabulation, chart, illustration or literature-reference which adds nothing to originality, interest, medical progress or the sum total of the world's knowledge.

I f each author consistently follows these sugges- tions, our pages will be able to carry more and varied types of manuscript, prompter publication will be pos- sible, each article will "earn its space" and- -a practi- cal angle--wri ters will have to pay considerably less for reprints.

We are passing on these suggestions to the Members of the Editorial Council and the Publications' Com- mittee with the hope that, when articles are appraised for acceptance or rejection, they will consider in their decisions the weight of brevity as well as the signifi- cance of clinical or scientific data.

F . S .