178 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Tol. 37 



Studies on anaphylaxis (antianaphylaxis), O. Thomsen (Overs. K. Danske 

 Vidcnsk. Selsk. Forhandl., No. 5 (1915), pp. 863-^13, figs. 5).— lu tlie experi- 

 ments reported sterilized horse serum was used as antigen in all cases and 

 guinea pigs as the experimental animals. The sensitizing dose was given 

 subcutaneously, the reinjection intravenously. 



Animals sensitized on the same day and with the same dose, and thus con- 

 sidered to belong to the same group, reacted in a similar way as regards 

 sensibility. Some differences, however, were observeil between various groups 

 of animals, although the dose was the same. The reason for this phenomenon 

 is considered to depend in all probability on the season of the year and its 

 effect on the production of the anaphylatoxin. 



Sensitization was not found to remain unchanged indefinitely, as has been 

 previously stated, but, while maintained in the beginning, a gradual decrea.^e 

 was observed. The guinea i>igs reacted more and more weakly as ihey grew 

 older. Very young animals (a few days old) are con.<;ideretl to produce a 

 different antisubstance than these several months old (weighing from 300 to 

 r>00 gra.). Fully grown animals (from 800 to 9(X) gm. ) appear to yield very 

 weak antisubstances. 



Antianaphylaxis is deeme<l subject to three phenomena: (1) The «lestruction 

 of anaphylatoxin, (2) the prevention of the reaction between antigen and 

 antisubstance, and (3) the reduction of the effect of the anaphylatoxin. The 

 disap{)earance of the anaphylatoxin was found to deix?nd to a great degree 

 on the existing degree of sensibility. This has been determined by xwi'^sive 

 sensitization. Sensibility was found to ri.'^e very slowly with the increase of 

 material u.sed. The desensitizing influence of a sublethal do.se of antigen was 

 found to vary greatly, de[)ending on the degree of the existing sensibility. 

 Narcotics, peptones, urine, etc. were found to act as antisubstances by de- 

 creasing the rapidity of the reaction between antigen and antibody, in which 

 ca.se a larger dose of antigen was neede<l to produce shock. The effei-t of 

 these substances was found to be much greater on weakly .<;ensitize<l than on 

 strongly sensitized animal.s. 



Anaplasmosis.^The significance of intracorpuscular bodies, marginal 

 points, and anaplasms found in the blood of sheep from Sardinia and Pied- 

 mont, G. FiNzi and A. Cami'Is (.Vuoio Krcolani, 21 (1916). \os. .iO-31. pp. 

 493-500; 3i-.'i5. pp. 551-511; 22 (1911), Xo. 1-2, pp. 2-8; ab.t. in Trop. Vet. 

 Bui., 5 (1911), No. 1, pp. 3-5). — The greater part of this work consists of a 

 survey of the literature dealing with the subject of aMai)lasms. 



On vitamins, amino acids, and other chemical factors involved in the 

 growth of the meningococcus, Dorothy J. Li.ovd (Jour. I'ath. and liact.. 21 

 (1916), Sn. 1. pp. 113-130).— The study reported shows that the primary culti- 

 vation of the meningococcus in vitro Is only possible in the presence of cer- 

 tain acces.sory growth factors present in blood, serum, nnlk. and other .-mimal 

 fluids, and probably also in vegetable tissues. These acce.s.sory factors were 

 found to be moderately thermostable, soluble in water and alcohol, and rapidly 

 ad.sorbeil by filter pai>er but not b.v glass w<ki1. "There is a rdationshii) of 

 the Inverse order between the amount of amino acid present in the imvlium and 

 the amount of vitamin re<iuire<l to stimulate the growth of laboratory strains, 

 and it is therefore suggested that the action of the acce.^^.sory growth factors 

 is to increase the reaction velocity of the i)roteolytic metabolism of the menin- 

 gococcus." 



After isolation from the body the organism was observetl to develop a change 

 in Its metabolism so that it became increasingly independent of the growth 

 accessories in the medium, old strains requiring no additional vitamin supply if 



