96 SPECIFICITY OF DEFENSIVE FERMENTS 



serum show any decomposition, when mixed with the 

 serum of impregnated individuals. Had that been 

 the case, then a very simple method for the diagnosis 

 of pregnancy would have been found. 



From the experience we have already gained, we 

 may venture to say that the behaviour of blood 

 serum towards coagulated placental tissue, or to 

 placenta peptone, enables us to diagnose a state of 

 pregnancy in the clearest possible way ; or, expressed 

 more correctly, to decide whether a placenta is in 

 existence which is still in communication with the 

 organism of the mother. A limitation is only neces- 

 sary, because the defensive ferments can still be traced 

 for a certain time after the expulsion of the placenta. 

 For the practical sero-diagnosis of pregnancy this 

 circumstance is of little importance, because the 

 case under observation can be examined clinically. 

 Normal non-pregnant individuals do not show any 

 disintegration of the placental tissue. 



We now had to decide the extremely important 

 question, whether defensive ferments of a more 

 general nature appear, when the organism contains 

 other substances that are out of harmony with the 

 plasma. This problem may be precisely expressed in 

 the following manner : Does the serum of individuals, 

 who suffer from infectious diseases, or from carci- 

 noma, or who exhibit a disease of any other kind, 

 decompose placental tissue ? A priori, one was driven 



