372 BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF RADIATION 



and that alexin and antibodies were thus hberated into the blood stream. 

 Bauer (15) and Heeren (79) do not confirm these results. Bauer's 

 clinical data include no statement of dosage, but Heeren's dose, at least 

 in the case of the one rabbit used, was bigger than Manoukhine's : 

 3 H.E.D. (which is roughly equivalent to 9 H.) as compared with 0.5 H., 

 and was given but once and Manoukhine's daily. 



Lusztig reports one experiment on one guinea pig w^hich received an 

 X-ray dose of 0.5 H.E.D. and the next day had an alexin titer 0.4 of its 

 previous value (111). This is not very satisfying evidence. 



The data neither prove nor exclude the possibility that the alexin 

 content of the blood is increased by moderate ultra-violet or X-irradia- 

 tion; apparently fatal or nearly fatal doses decrease it (Koopman, 100; 

 Quadrone, 136). 



ANTIBODIES 



Specific Hemolysins 



The treacherous nature of the evidence available in all experiments 

 with irradiation in vivo is aptly illustrated by the papers of Konrich (99) 

 and of Bessemans and coworkers (18, 19) on specific hemolysins and other 

 antibodies. Both used approximately erythema doses from therapeutic 

 quartz-mercury-arc lamps on shaven rabbits; both used as antigens sheep 

 erythrocytes and killed B. typhosus; both used a considerable number of 

 animals (5 to 12) for each experimental group, and both kept control 

 nonirradiated groups for comparison. These are distinctly the most 

 careful of the papers on hemolysins, and yet Konrich (99) finds hemolysins 

 distinctly increased, and typhoid agglutinins not certainly affected or if 

 anything retarded, while Bessemans and Nelis (18) find no effect on 

 hemolysins, and Bessemans and Seldeslachts (19) a distinct increase in 

 typhoid agglutinins. The contradiction is perfect. All that the reviewer 

 can do is to assume that both sets of data are statistically inadequate, 

 and that nothing has been proven. 



Several investigators found under some conditions of X-irradiation an 

 increased hemolysin titer at some time (Manoukhine, 114; Konrich, 99; 

 Lusztig, 111). Lusztig found repeated irradiation to lead finally to 

 partial or complete loss of hemolysin. Hektoen (81, 82) found only a 

 loss, which was specially marked when irradiation preceded antigen 

 injection, presumably injuring the reticulo-endotheUal system so that it 

 could no longer react effectively to the subsequent injection of. antigen. 

 Fiorini and Zironi (58, 59) obtained only negative results. Negative 

 results were also obtained with alpha radiation from injected thorium 

 X in various doses of the order of magnitude of 15 e.s.u. per kg. in 

 rabbits (Lippmann, 106). 



It is evident that sufficiently heavy dosage of any of these agents will 

 inhibit antibody production, and it is not impossible that appropriate 



