THE JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY. 



89 



the presence Or absence of bile pigments, as well as the presence of increased 

 amounts of indican. A dark blue or violet ring is only found when indican 

 is eliminated in large amounts, and as this, generally speaking, only occurs 

 when an increased degree of intestinal putrefaction exists, we have thus a 

 fairly accurate index by which to measure the latter.— Dr. Chas. E. Simon, 

 in National Med. Review. 



The Free Granules and Immunity.— Theories of immunity con- 

 tinue to grow apace. The rapid changes new investigations enforce in ac- 

 cepted views make it difficult for the general observer to appreciate the 

 exact situation, but he must feel that flu- truth of the matter is being slowly 

 but surely revealed. 



A short time ago certain "small, generally round, colorless granules,** 

 readily distinguishable from blood-plates, were described by Midler, an 

 assistant in Nothnagel's clinic in Vienna. In the last number of the 

 Johns Hopkins Hospital Bulletin, Stokes and Wegerath, of the bactcriologi- 

 cal laboratory of the Baltimore Health Department, describe an investiga- 

 tion of these granules, and advance a theory of their relation to immunity. 



In all the specimens of blood which he examined Miiller is said to have 

 discovered a varying number of these small, refractive, spherical bodies of 

 inderterminate origin and composition. Prom whence do these granules 

 originate: It was noted that they resembled the granules of the eosino- 

 philic and neutrophilic leucocytes. At times the granular leucocytes become 

 actively ameboid, and the granules within the neutrophile exhibited charac- 

 teristic activity. When this occurred the free granules increased in the 

 plasma. This furnished what detectives would call a clue. 



Do these free granules come from the leucocyte, and can they be seen to 

 do so? Stokes and Wegerath think they do, and that they have observed 

 this phenomenon. They record a series of observations and experiments, 

 all of which strengthen them in the conclusion that the granules of the 

 eosinophil and neutrophile are present as free granules in the plasma and 

 serum. 



What is the bearing of these bodies on the problems of immunity and 

 natural resistance? The protective function of the leucocyte is a historic 

 attribute. The doctrine of phagocytosis, while not comprising all the truth, 

 contains an important part of it. This theory is summarized by Metchni- 

 koff as follows: "We have the right to maintain that in the property of its 

 ameboid cells to include and to destroy micro-organisms the animal body 

 possesses a formidable means of resistance and defense against infectious 

 agents." BuchiLer modified this theory by finding blood-serum bactericidal, 

 though he admitted that the leucocyte probably furnished the substance 

 which gave it this quality. Since then Bordet, Rail, Shattenfroh, Dzier- 



