INTRODUCTION I5 



fectious activity ot cultures ot tAventy different bacteria may be 

 increased I)y Reynals factors (B. I\l)h(>sits, B. paratyplwsus A and 

 B, B. dysenteriae, Vibrio cholerae, enterococctis, B. prodigiosus, 

 M. TetragouLs, Streptococcus hemolyticus, B. coli, pneimiocctis 

 Type III, etc.). It is also of interest that in Favilli's (iQ.'^i) ex- 

 periments the testictilar extract notably increased the fragility of 

 red blood cells. 



In Bier's experiments the toxic material \vas the stipernatant 

 fltiid of a centrifuged agar culture of B. typJwsiis trittnated in 

 NaCl. Six rabbits were injected in one ear with 0.2 c.c. of a mix- 

 tine of toxin plus testicular extract. The other ear was inocidated 

 with 0.2 c.c. of mixture of toxin plus physiological saline. Fifteen 

 horns later, the rabbits received a provocative injection of 1 c.c. 

 of the toxin intravenously. In 3 rabbits the testictdar extract pro- 

 duced no effect. In the remaining rabbits there was an increase 

 in the zone of reaction in sites prepared ^vith mixtmes of active 

 principles and testictdar extract. 



The residts obtained by Bier were reinvestigated by Dinan- 

 Reynals. 



Rabbits were prepared by the intracutaneous injection of 0.25 

 c.c. of filtrate from a six day old broth cidtine of B. coli mixed 

 with testictdar extract, and control animals received the same 

 amoinit of filtrate diluted with Ringer's solution. The areas of 

 lesion produced by the fdtrate and testictdar extract were tm- 

 dotd3tedly larger than in the controls but what the lesions had 

 gained in extent, they had lost in intensity. Instead of the Avell 

 defined and severe edematous and hemorrhagic character, the 

 lesions were flat, diffused and mild. In the animals in which the 

 control lesion was mild, the one resulting from the filtrate plus 

 testictdar extract mixttne was extremely benign or in some cases 

 completely suppressed. In an additional experiment by Duran- 

 Reynals, the procedtne was varied by injecting the testictdar 

 extract into the prepared area at the same time as the intravenous 

 filtrate injection was given. This provided a similar spreading 

 out of the reaction with a corresponding lessening of the severity 

 or even suppression of the reaction. The author concluded from 

 his experiments that the testicular extract gave no true enhance- 

 ment of lesions produced by bacterial toxins used and had no 

 influence tipon the subsequent development of the phenomenon. 

 The findings of Duran-Reynals were confirmed by Cassiito 

 (1933//) . The latter author also gained the impression that in- 



