478 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Abt., Ref., 53 {1912), No. 10, p. 292).— A study was made of the behavior of 

 normal serum with rennet obtained from various animals, and the results show 

 that the inhibition of rennet action is not specie specific. The immunization of 

 rabbits with rennet zymogen (neutral infusion of the mucous membrane from 

 the calf) at first shows a larger output of antirennet than when immunization is 

 done with rennet. Only after immunizing over a long period of time are the 

 results alike. The same antisubstance appears to be produced in both cases. 

 The most important property of the antirennet and of the inhibitory substjiuce in 

 the zymogen is the specie-specific inhibition whereby they are distinguished 

 from the inhibitory substances present in normal serum. The antibody is pre- 

 served better in the serum kept in vitro than in the animal body. 



The relation of precipitins to complement, A. Lebailly {Ztschr. Immuni- 

 tdtsf. u. Expt. Ther., I, Orig., 15 {1912), No. 6, pp. 552-575).— It was possible by 

 the fractional addition of antigens to precipitins to separate the complement 

 fixation process from the precipitation process. According to this, in all proba- 

 bility the complement fixation does not belong to the precipitins but to the lytic 

 amboceptors which accompany the precipitins. 



The protecting influence of complement (alexin) upon protein metabolism, 

 E. Heilner and R. Schneider {Ztschr. Biol, 59 {1912), No. 8, pp. 821-334).— 

 It has been previously shown « that during anaphylactic shock protein metab- 

 olism is considerably reduced. In these experiments starving animals were 

 injected with homologous and heterologous sera, and from the results it can 

 be noted that complement (alexin) seems to have some relation to protein metab- 

 olism when viewed iu the light of protective immunity. The presence of com- 

 plement (protective enzym) is necessary for the normal cycle of protein decom- 

 position, and when the amount of complement is reduced, the decomposition 

 increases proportionately. 



In starving animals the regeneration of complement destroyed by the injec- 

 tion of foreign blood corpuscles does not occur any quicker than it does in 

 normal animals. This is probably due to a destruction of the cells (but no 

 definite group of cells) which produce the complement. After injecting 6 gm. 

 of a foreign blood corpuscle suspension into animals, the amount of urine is 

 greatly increased. No appreciable increase was noted when homologous protein 

 was given. 



The influence of giving sodium chlorid per os on the cycle of anaphylaxis, 

 E. Friedbekger and H. Langer {Ztschr. Immunitdtsf. u. Expt. Ther., I, Orig., 

 15 {1912), No. 6, pp. 535-545). — By the administration of large amounts of table 

 salt per os, it is possible to prevent the anaphylactic symptoms which occur as 

 a result of a second injection of a protein. The tests were conducted with nor- 

 mal and starving guinea pigs. 



Is it possible to produce an anaphylatoxin-like cleavage product by allow- 

 ing normal sera to act upon histidin? E. Friedberger and H. Langer {Ztschr. 

 Immunitdtsf. u. Expt. Ther., I, Orig., 15 {1912), No. 6, pp. 528-534).— By the 

 action of a normal guinea pig serum on histidin hydrochlorid at 37° C. it is not 

 possible to produce a substance which is acutely toxic or lethal for guinea pigs. 



The nature of antianaphylaxis, R. Weil and A. F. Coca {Ztschr. Immuni- 

 tdtsf. u. Expt. Ther., I, Orig., It {191S), No. 2, pp. 141-155) .—From some 

 quantitative experiments it is concluded that antianaphylaxis, as held by 

 Rosenau and Anderson, Wells, Friedberger, and Szymanowski, is strongly spe- 

 cific. It is concluded that antianaphylaxis is produced by the neutralization of 

 specific antibodies. 



•Ztschr. Biol., 58 (1912), No. 7, pp. 333-354, figs. 3. 



