AUTOINTOXICATION. This term signifies poisoning from substances which are formed within the body. These substances may be the normal products of metabolism which are normally changed to inert or harm less bodies in the chemistry of the different or gans, or are eliminated by the proper elimina tive organs, or they may be the product of bac teria or of bacterial- action upon decomposable or fermentable material which is found by the bacteria of the alimentary canal in the stomach or intestines. These substances are absorbed from the gastrointestinal canal and passing into the blood are conveyed to various parts of the body and produce their characteristic symp toms. This can readily be understood when we realize that a very considerable portion of the food material which is taken into the body is not acted upon by the digestive secretions and decomposes or ferments, especially when acted upon in the intestines by putrefactive anaerobes.
Of the substances which are normally formed and which if retained would produce auto-intoxication, carbonic acid is one of the most familiar examples. It is a product of metabolism, it is absorbed into the blood, car ried to the lungs and oxidized, or, if it is re tained in the blood and the blood remains un oxidized, auto-intoxication from its influence is the result. Urea is another product of meta bolism which it is the function of the kidneys to excrete with the urine. If the kidney func tion is inefficient and enough of the urea is re tained within the blood, convulsions, coma and death will be the result of the auto-intoxication.
Bacterial fermentations, including the fa miliar yeast fermentation, have as their prod ucts alcohol and such acids as lactic, formic, butric, acetic and succinic. These are carbo-hy drate fermentations which usually take place in the stomach and small intestine and with them may emir both absorption and the forma tion of gases in the stomach and intestines, also well-known and very common gastric and gen eral disorders.
The proteid fermentations usually take place from the undigested material which has accumu lated in the large intestine, yielding mercarans, amido-acids and aromatic bodies like indol, phenyl and skatol. These may be absorbed and perhaps changed and eliminated, or, if they are carried into the blood in excess, may produce auto-intoxication.
The body may be protected from the bad effect of these poisonous products by chemical changes which they undergo while passing through the liver or by the action of anti bodies which are present in the blood to de stroy them and which may even be increased in numbers and consequently in anti-toxic ac tion by the presence of these poisonous sub stances. Sometimes great harm comes to the liver while it is attempting to dispose of these substances and this result may not only follow from proteid decomposition but from the in judicious use of anesthetics, causing an in hibition of metabolism and incomplete combus tion of fats.
Auto-intoxication is very apt to occur with such diseases as chronic nephritis, cholangitis, gall-stones, hepatic cancer, with some forms of appendicitis and in connection with intestinal parasites. It is also present in diabetes, perni cious anemia, myxcedema, acromegaly, Addi son's disease and gout. It is the very common condition with those who consume more pro teid food than their metabolic capacity will dispose of. With such people the characteristic symptoms are persistent frontal headache, muddy or sallow complexion, dizziness, nausea, a constant feeling of inertness, constipation al ternating with diarrhoea, flatulence, indigestion, insomnia, melancholia and many other things that are distressing. In treating this condition it is especially necessary to insist on simple diet with little proteid, plenty of milk and a mini mum of sugar and fat.