129 



2. Can human serum also dissolve other albumina besides 

 fibrine? 



ad. I. It is well-known, that in human serum different 

 ferments occur, which partially occur in the serum itself, partially- 

 come free with the falling asunder of the leucocytes. Besides 

 fibrine-ferment, peptic-, amylolytic-, and lipolytic- ferments are 

 known. 



To my knowledge, in the clinic no use has as yet been 

 made, towards diagnostic purposes, of the fact that serum 

 possesses one of these ferments in a more or les high degree. 



The anti-tryptic property of serum has indeed often been a 

 point of research. If we remember e, g. the many researches, 

 made after the method of JOCHMANN & MÜLLER, wich comes 

 to this, that the anti-tryptic action is traced by mixing the 

 serum on a smooth LÖFFLER-serumplate with tryptically acting 

 liquid. 



The anti-tryptic property of serum especially seems to have 

 increased, when abnormally much human albumen is lost (cancer, 

 tuberculosi«;, pregnancy a. o.) 



Of late many researches by ABDERHALDEN i) and his pupils 

 have appeared about the property of human serum being able 

 to destroy certain organs under certain circumstances. 



In pregnancy specific ferments were said to occur in the 

 blood, which can destroy placenta. 



With sufferers of cancer specific ferments were said to occur 

 which can corrode cancer-tissue. 



Abderhalden used different methods. First he followed 

 the dialysing method. To i gram of organ (e. g. placenta) 

 in a dialyser, 1.5 cM^ serum is added. When this has been 

 left undisturbed for 16 hours in a temperature of 37 <* C. we 

 try to indicate the products formed from the placenta in the 

 dialysiswater (15 c.M^ distilled water) by means of the biuret 

 — (or better) the ninhydrin — reaction. This method is still 

 universal and more used than the so called optic method. For 

 this method we want a small and sensitive polarimeter; by 

 means of this instrument we determine the refractive index, 

 changed because of the formed transformation products. After- 



^) Abderhalden. 4te Auflage der »Abwehrfermente« 1914. 



