394 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



WHAT IS THE ANTIGEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ANTI-BODIES 



IN DORSET-NILES SERUM? 



Technical Bulletin No. 13. 



BY WARD GILTNER. 



The Dorset-Niles serum is a protective serum against hog cholera. 

 Aside from our knowledge of its protective power, what proof have 

 we that this serum contains anti-bodies? Our researches have shown 

 the presence of agglutinins for B. cholerae suis and protective sub- 

 stances against virulent cultures of this organism. However, it is not 

 considered that B. cholerae suis is the etiologic factor of prime im- 

 portance in the production of hog cholera. Therefore we should look 

 upon the filterable virus as the antigen possessing greatest importance 

 and we sliould seek to ascertain the specific anti-bodies resulting from 

 the interaction of the filtered virus and the pigs treated. 



In attempting to study the phenomena resulting from the interaction 

 of antigen and the body cells or fluids it is advisable to divest each 

 factor of all complicating elements. We have previously studied the 

 Dorset-Niles serum and its agglutinative action on B. cholerae suis. 

 This serum was from animals that had been treated with large doses 

 of hog cholera virus blood. This virus blood is supposed to contain 

 frequently both B. cholerae suis and the filterable virus, probably two 

 distinct antigens. 



In the production of anti-bodies in the blood of a pig these two anti- 

 gens may exert influences independently, symbiotically or antibiotically. 

 We have attempted to obviate complications by using an antigen com- 

 posed of B. cholerae suis only or the filterable virus only. 



We first attempted to hyperimmunize a pig by the use of normal pig 

 blood and bouillon cultures of B. cholerae suis. The culture used was 

 "virus 130" and has already been described.* The treatment of the pig 

 employed in this experiment was as follows: 



Virus pig 139, Duroc-Jersey, wt. 125 lbs. Injected 5 c.c. virus Expt. 

 100 (supposed to contain both B. cholerae suis and the filterable virus) 

 12-7-'00. into the muscles of the ham. The pig remained well. Failure 

 to develop hog cholera is attributed to natural immunity since another 

 pig from the same lot injected at the same time with a similar dose of 

 the same virus developed a typical case of hog cholera in 8 days. On 

 12-22-'00. 1here was injected into the axillary region. 150 c.c. of de- 

 fibrinaled blood from Expt. ])ig 2,37 mixed with 50 c.c. of a 20 hour 

 bouillon culture of B. cholerae suis. 



No visible or j)alpable lesions produced. 



On 12-30-'09 there was injected into the opposite axillary region 4G5 



• See Tech. Bui. No. 3 and No. 8, Mich. Agri. Expt. Sta. 



