402 EXPERIMENT STATION KECORD. 



Immunity in infectious diseases, E. Metchnikofk {L' iimmuiiU: (kms les maladies 

 wji'ctieuHcs. J^irix: ^faxso)l cO Co., 1901, pj). IX-\-600, fiija. 45). — This volume contairiH 

 ail elaborate discusyion of the general problem of immunity. The subjects disrussed 

 by the author include the imjKtrtance of a study of immunity; immunity in unicel- 

 lular organisms, in plants, in the animal kingdom; resorption of organized elements; 

 resorption of albuminoid fluids; natural immunity against ])athogenic organisms; 

 the mechanism of natural immunity; a review of the facts of accpiired immunity; 

 rapid and temporary immunity conferred by specific and normal sera; natural aixl 

 artificial immunity against toxins; immunity of the skin and mucous membranes; 

 preventive vaccination for sheep pox, rabies, rinderpest, anthrax, blackleg, swine 

 erysipelas, pleuro-pneumonia, tetanus, diphtheria, etc. ; and a historical review of 

 the present knowledge of immunity. The volume concludes with a resum^ of the 

 whole subject as viewed from the author's standpoint. 



Toxins and. antitoxins, J. Bordet {Ann. Inst. Pasteur, 17 {1903), No. 3, pp. 

 161-1S6). — A review of the literature of this subject indicates that the majority of 

 authors are 'agreed on the proposition that antitoxins do not jjroduce immunity by 

 direct action upon the animal organism, butthattheir chief action is a partial neutral- 

 ization of toxins. It has been shown, however, that a mixture of a toxin and an 

 antitoxin is not strictly neutral, and portions of both toxin and antitoxin remain 

 uncombined, while the remainder of the toxin and antitoxin combines and becomes 

 neutralized in varying degrees. 



The anthcjr briefly discusses the results of an experiment with an alexin and 

 anantialexin. It is found that a c^uanfity of antialexin insuflicient for completely 

 neutralizing more than 6 fatal doses of alexin, nevertheless exercises an influence 

 such that in its presence 24 fatal doses of alexin produce hemolysis less rapidly than 

 a single dose is capal)le of doing in the absence of the antialexin. 



Cellular hemolysins, C. Levauiti {Ann. Inst. Pasteur, 17 {1903), No. 3, pp. 

 187-216). — The objects of the experiments reported by the author in this paper were 

 to determine the nature and method of production of hemolysins and the relative 

 activity of macrophages and polynuclear leucocytes in the production of hemolysins. 

 The extracts were obtained from the 2 kinds of leucocytes by a rapid and slow 

 process. 



Experiments were then made with these hemolysins as obtained by the different 

 methods. It was found that the principal hemolysins contained in the extract 

 obtained by the slow method were soluble in dilute and strong alcohol. The 

 hemolysins obtained from the lymphatic ganglia can not, in the opinion of the author, 

 be identified with the cytase of fresh sera, since the former are thermostable and 

 may be neutralized by normal serum. It was shown during the author's exjieri- 

 ments that the extract of polynuclear leucocytes is quite deprived of hemolytic, prop- 

 erties with regard to the red (;orpuscles. 



The bacteriolytic properties of this extract, however, were considerably more pro- 

 nounced than those of the extract from the macrophages. It appears t bereft) re that 

 the macrophages of the lymj^hatic ganglia, as a result of the autolytic jiroperties and 

 the composition of the cytase in the ganglia, are an important source of hemolysins, 

 while the polynuclear leucocytes in the peritoneal fluid are without any trace of 

 hemolytic properties which can be demonstrated in vitro. The polynuclear leu{;o- 

 cytes, however, play the principal part in the destruction of bacteria. 



On some factors in bacteriolytic action, E. W. A. Walker {Jour. Ilyg. [CW»i- 

 bridfje}, 3 {1903), No. 1, jjp. 52-67). — iV study was made of the bacteriolytic proper- 

 ties of rabbit serum after inoculation with typhoid bacillus. It was found that the 

 amount of complement in the serum undergoes a steady increase during the first few 

 hours, provided the serum be left in contact with the clot. Serum removed from a 

 vessel containing the clot, however, shows no such increase in the eomijlement. It 

 is concluded, therefore, that the complement is a product of leucocytes appearing in 

 the blood plasma or serum as the result of the disintegration of the leucocytes. 



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