XLVII. STUDIES ON ANTIAMBOCEPTORS. 1 



By C. H. BROWNING, M.B., Ch.B., Glasgow, Carnegie Research Fellow, Assistant 



at the Institute, 



and 

 Dr. H. SACHS, Member of the Institute. 



THE study of the antihaemolytic effects produced by immunization 

 has greatly deepened in the past few years and become much more 

 difficult. This is largely due to the recognition of the complement- 

 binding power possessed by albuminous bodies when laden with 

 specific antibodies. Attention was called to this phenomenon by 

 Gengou, 2 who concluded that it demonstrated the existence or 

 production of amboceptors against dissolved albuminous bodies. 

 Moreschi, 3 however, deserves the credit for first directing attention 

 to the relation of this phenomenon to the well-known anticomple- 

 mentary action of the blood serum. A study of Moreschi's investi- 

 gations, especially in the light of our present knowledge, makes it 

 appear very doubtful whether the inhibiting action of immune 

 sera formerly ascribed to the anticomplements is really due to the 

 presence of antibodies directed against the complements, or whether 

 it is riot rather occasioned, at least in a measure, by the anticomple- 

 mentary power exerted by the substance formed by the interaction 

 of albumin and antialbumin. The problem of differentiating anti- 

 complements sensu strictiori has now become more difficult than ever, 

 because the mode of action of the anticomplements in no way differs 

 from that of the albumin complex laden with amboceptor. 



For the present, therefore, the problem of demonstrating true 

 antihamolysins appears to be more readily studied by directing 

 attention first to the antiamboceptors. Our knowledge concerning 



1 Reprinted from the Berlin, klin. Wochenschrift, 1906, Nos. 20 and 21. 



2 Gengou, Sur les sensibilatrices des serums actifs centre les substances 

 albuminoides. Annales Pasteur, 1902, T. XVI. 



3 Moreschi, Zur Lehre von den Anticomplementen. Berliner klin. Wochen- 

 schr., 1905, No. 37, and 1906, No. 4. 



649 



