It is our wish to consider the current status of knowledge and to stimulate awareness of the problems and opportunities existing for future studies of the nature and actions of the botulinal, tetanal, and enterostaphylococcal toxins. Increasing knowledge makes such a review timely. In the light of the selective actions of botulinal and tetanal toxins on autonomic and central nervous system interneuronal mechanisms, it is remarkable that one finds no references to these very useful agents in the outstanding texts and reference volumes in neurophysiology and pharmacology. Successful methods of purification now make it possible to employ these toxins as specific reprodUCible and selective reagents or aids in the study of physioReceived for publication Oct. 5, 1966. 286logical and pharmacological questions, a potential that has not been exploited maximally.It is logical to consider these three exotoxins of gram positive bacteria in a single paper because in common they have been proven to be neurotoxic simple proteins. Our attention will not be focused on the purely bacteriological questions of the origin of these toxins in the bacterial economy and environmental factors influencing their production and occurrence in clinical illness. Nor will we consider the clinical problem of tetanus and botulism in medical and veterinary practice, and the occurrence of botulism in wildlife. Reviews including subject matter we have not covered are available. 90 , 93, 114, 115, 128, 135, 154, 156, 177,249,307,308 We will consider primarily the nature and actions of the toxins.

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creases the dissociation of the phenolic hydroq-1 proups( 13). The resultant increased acidity oi the iodinated molecules may be responsible ior the separation from the bulk of non-iodinated molecules on the DEAE-celIulose column.Radiation may alter albumin. A total dose of 50.000 roentgen equivalent physical (rep) to albumin in a solution of 0.2 m,a albumin nil can alter its biologic properties( 1 4 ) . ~3 5 , '146.

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