XXIX. METHODS OF STUDYING HLEMOLYSINS. 



By Dr. J. MORGENROTH, Member of the Institute. 



THE object of the following article is to give a brief outline of the 

 principles governing the technique of hsemolytic experiments. It may 

 be taken for granted that the methods employed in the experiments 

 already described will be applicable to many problems of haBmolysis 

 still to be studied and to many questions concerning bacteriolysins 

 and cytotoxins. In view of this a systematic treatise on methods 

 will prove of considerable value, especially to one who uses these 

 methods only occasionally. In those cases where a particular 

 technique has been sufficiently described in the prevouis papers. 

 I have contented myself with merely giving the reference to this paper, 



Aside, however, from this practical object, a general survey of the 

 subject is to be given which will show how a system of technique, 

 intelligently built up on a comprehensive theory, has made it possible 

 to push our analytical inquiries into a department of science which 

 formerly constituted a sealed book to the ordinary methods of chem- 

 istry. Disregard of these newer methods has invariably led to obscu- 

 rity and error, as we have been able to show on several occasions 1 ; 

 and in the future, even if refined chemical methods can successfully be 

 introduced into this domain, the general method of analysis here 

 outlined will always form the basis of this study. According to our 

 experience the study of hffimolysins will be much simplified by atten- 

 tion to a number of technical details which are described in this 

 article. 



I. Collecting and Preserving the Blood and Blood Serum. 



We shall begin with some remarks on the collection and preserva- 

 tion of the blood and serum required for these experiments. 



As a general rule for hsemolytic experiments it is not necessary 



1 See, for example, pages 181 et seq.; 241 et seq.; 283 et seq., etc. 



326 



