286 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.40 



" The favorable effects of some diets on the toxicity of tartrates might be due 

 to several factors, among them inhibition of bacterial activity in the intestine, 

 vitamins, or unknown constituents that might be present in some diets." 



Complement fixation with protein substances, R. L. Kahn and A. McNeil 

 (Jour. Immunol, 3 (1018), Xo. If, pp. 277-293). — The purpose of the studies re- 

 ported was to determine whether or not the findings of Wells and Osborne 

 (E. S. R., 35, p. 679), that the specificity of the anaphylactic reaction depends 

 upon the chemical structure of the protein molecule, are applicable to the com- 

 plement-fixation reaction. The substances employed consisted of proteins, split 

 proteins, racemlzed proteins, and animal tissues. These were Introduced 

 parenterally into rabbits and specific complement-fixing antibodies sought for in 

 the blood of these animals at definite intervals. 



The results obtained showed that " what has been found to be true in the i 

 of other Immunity reactions appears to be true also in the case of the comple- 

 ment-fixation reaction, namely, that the specificity of the complement-fixation 

 reaction depends upon the chemical structure Of the protein molecule, and if 

 the molecule be split or modified by racemization its specific complement binding 

 power is lost." 



A note on the relation between proteolysins and hemolysins, A. McNeil 

 ami R. L. Kahn (Jour. Immunol.. 3 (1918), No. ',. pp. 895-899).— This paper 

 reports the results of an attempt to determine whether proteolytic substances 

 are produced in rabbits as the result of protein Injections. Proteolysis was de- 

 termined by observing the Increase in amino nitrogen after digesting mixtures 

 of the immune serum, the specific protein, and complement for a given period. 



The results gave no evidence of any increase in amino adds under these 

 conditions, which would indicate that hemolysis and proteolysis are probably 

 two distinct phenomena. 



A study of the immunizing properties of bacterial vaccines prepared after 

 various methods. M. \\ . Pekbi and J. A. Kolmeb (Jour. Immunol.. 3 (1911 

 No. ;. pp. .'/7 .'■".'.• abs. in -lour. Amer. Med. issoc., 7/ 1 1918), No. :;. /-. .'".'/).— 

 A comparative si miy is reported of the efficacy of vaccines of Bacillus typhosus, 

 including living, heat-killed, and chemically killed preparations injected sub- 

 cutaneously into rabbits in doses similar to those employed in human beings 

 and according to body weight The antibody respon studied by means 



of the agglutination and complement-fixation reactions, and the nonspecific re- 

 action was followed by means of total leucocyte counts and temperature obser- 

 vations. The results of the study are summarized as follows: 



All vaccines of u. typhosus prepared in various ways usually produced Blight 

 leUCOCytOBlS and Blight increase in temperature, the alcohol-killed sensitized 

 sediment producing these nonspecific reactions in the highest degree. Agglu- 

 tinin and complement-fixing antibodies were produced in the highest degree by 

 the administration of living and autolyzed vaccines, followed in order by the 

 mercurophen-killed, tricresol-kllled, heat-killed, and alcohol-killed sensitized 

 sediment vaccines. 



The bactericidal action of whole blood, with a new technique for its de- 

 termination. <:. 1>. HEIST and S. ami M. SOLIS-COHEN (Jour. Immunol.. 3 (191 

 No. I pp. 261- 876, figs. 8; abs. in Jour. Amer. Med. l««oc, 11 <h>i^k No. .';. /». 

 !().'!). — A five-stemmed capillary pipette is described by means of which Mood, 

 as it flows from the capillaries, may he brought into contact with living organ- 

 isms in varying dilutions. By the use of this device it has been shown that if 

 small numbers of living pneumococci are seeded in pigeon's blood before it 

 coagulates the pneumoCOCCl fail to multiply, while if seeded in mouse's or 

 rabbit's blood under similar conditions the pneumococci grow with great \L 



