That these organs really assist in the defense of the body against the attacks of microbes or the introduction into it of certain toxic products can be best demonstrated by the fact that after such infections the adrenals are, as a rule, altered, showing that a pronounced reaction antagonistic to these agencies has occurred. It has thus been proved by a succession of authors: Charrin,[192] Langlois, Roux, Yersin, Professor Roger, and more recently by Oppenheim and Loeper,[193] that in experimental or in spontaneous infectious diseases the adrenals present important alterations as a result of the reaction against infection. Footnote 192: Charrin: “Les défenses naturelles de l’organisme,” Paris, 1898; C. R. Soc. de biologie, 1892. Footnote 193: Oppenheim et Loeper: C. R. Soc. de biol., 22 mars, 1901. Oppenheim and Loeper found that important changes followed upon experimental infectious diseases; for example, after infection by the bacilli of diphtheria or anthrax, or by the pneumococcus; also in such infectious diseases as diphtheria, pneumonia, small-pox, typhoid fever, etc.; and also after experimental poisonings, as with arsenic, phosphorus, or mercury. There occurred leucocytic reaction, diffuse diapedesis, or infectious nodules, and also a congested condition of the adrenals, sometimes so marked that hæmorrhage took place, with complete destruction of the parenchymatous tissue of the glands. Very important are the conclusions of Oppenheim,[194] that when animals have received poisonous products, together with adrenal extracts, after having previously lost these glands by operation, such animals show a longer survival, sometimes even of indefinite duration, as compared with animals without adrenals to which have been administered the same toxic products, but without adrenal extracts. Footnote 194: Oppenheim: “Les capsules surrénales,” Thèse de Paris, 1902. With phosphorus and urinary poisons in particular, this author has obtained most striking results from the injection into animals of adrenal extracts at the same time as the poisonous substances. Oppenheim comes to the same conclusion as Abelous, Charrin, Langlois and Sajous: that the adrenals play a great rôle in the destruction or neutralization of microbic or other poisons introduced into the system.