It has, however, been maintained by Zagari that this antitoxic action of the liver fails in the case of bacteria and, according to Professor Roger, especially with bacterial toxins in old cultures. Yet other authors have shown that the liver probably has an antitoxic action against bacteria and their toxins. Thus, Professor Adami, of Montreal,[177] by experiments with a minute diplococcus similar to that which is found in Pictou’s cattle disease, and Sir Lauder Brunton, and Dr. Bokenham,[178] have shown that the lethal action of diphtheria toxin is greatly diminished during the circulation of this toxin through the liver, and also that the juice from such a liver has a slight antitoxic power. These authors have also shown that the bile from such a liver has a slight antitoxic action. They consider that the antitoxic power of the liver does not depend upon the blood present in the organ, but on the liver-tissue itself. Footnote 177: Adami: Montreal Med. Journal, p. 485, July. Footnote 178: Sir Lauder Brunton and Bokenham: The Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology, p. 50, Nov., 1907. It has been shown that the liver excretes into the bile poisons which it arrests during their circulation through the portal system. This has been shown by Lussana in the case of curare. That poisonous substances are excreted into the bile is shown also by the immunizing experiments of Professor Koch against bovine plague. He employs the bile of animals which died of plague. This contains attenuated plague bacilli, of which Professor Koch makes use in his experiments.[179] Footnote 179: Quoted after Metschnikoff. Dr. Fraser[180] has shown that when increasing doses of snake-venom are injected into an animal a condition of immunity is brought about, so that finally fifty times the dose which would have proved fatal at first, becomes innocuous. As Fraser found, the bile of such animals contains an antivenine, and he made use of this bile as an antidote against the original venom. Footnote 180: Fraser: British Med. Journal, vol. ii, p. 595, 1897.