JOINT ACTION OF SEVERAL AMBOCEPTORS 



639 



inert by the ox serum. This we were actually able to prove ex- 

 perimentally. Constituting as it does the crucial experiment for 

 testing the correctness of the views here developed, the following 

 experiment deserves the closest attention. 



Two series of tubes are prepared: 



Series A. Each tube contains 0.35 cc. horse serum made up to 1.1 cc. with 

 salt solution. The mixtures are kept at 37 for half an hour, and then digested 

 for 1-J- hours at 37, each with the sediments from 1 cc. 5% weakly prepared 

 (0.005 cc. amboceptor) ox blood. Then centrifuge. The decanted fluids are 

 mixed with decreasing amounts of inactive ox serum (1 cc. volume) and these 

 mixtures are poured each over the sediments from 1 cc. 5% strongly prepared 

 (0.05 cc. amboceptor) ox blood. 



Series B. Each tube contains 0.35 cc. horse serum plus decreasing amounts 

 of inactive ox serum (total volume 1.1 cc.). After remaining at 37 for half 

 an hour the mixtures are digested for 1$ hours at 37, each with the sediments 

 from 1 cc. 5% weakly prepared (0.005 cc. amboceptor) ox blood. After 

 centrifuging, the decanted fluids are poured each over the sediments from 

 1 cc. strongly prepared (0.05 cc. amboceptor) 5% ox blood and 1 cc. salt 

 solution is added. 



The result is shown in the following table: 



TABLE XII. 



An examination of the table makes it clear that the horse com- 

 plement is not bound to the weakly prepared ox blood when sufficient 

 quantities of the inactive ox serum are added to the horse serum. 

 This result shows at once how entirely untenable is the theory of 

 Bordet and Gay. According to their view we would have every 



