Chapter IV 



IMMUNOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF ACTIVE 



PRINCIPLES OF THE PHENOMENON 



OF LOCAL SKIN REACTIVITY 



MOST of the observations just described having suggested 

 a similarity between the active principles ot the phe- 

 nomenon and bacterial exotoxins, a close study of their 

 innniinological behavior A\as deemed important. The B. t\l)liosus 

 active principles were selected for the basic work inasnnich as 

 their neutralization and antigenicity ^vere obvious from the very 

 beginning of the in\estigations. Later, the knowledge acquired 

 was extended to studies on the immtniological behavior of men- 

 ingococcus active principles. Since this part of the monograph 

 deals w^th general studies on the natme of the active principles 

 of the phenomenon, the special features concerning immunologi- 

 cal properties of meningococcus active principles will be discussed 

 in Chapter xiii dealing with certain practical aspects concerning 

 the utilization of the phenomenon for preparation of immune 

 therapeutic sera. 



EFFECT OF IMMUNE AND NORMAL SERA UPON SKIN-PREPARATORY 



FACTORS 



Most of the sera employed in these experiments ^\ ere prepared 

 by the injection of toxic culture filtrates. 



Since a considerable ninnber of the rabbits died from intensive 

 immunization with these hltrates, some animals were injected at 

 the beginning of the immunization with autoclaved fdtrates; 

 later WTth filtrates heated in the Arnold steam sterilizer; and with 

 filtrates heated at 60° c. for one to two hours; and finally with 

 potent toxic filtrates. Some animals received injections of w^hole 

 bacteria, first heated to 60° c. for two hours, then lixe bacteria. 



Most of the injections were made intra\enously, Ijut in some 

 instances the subcutaneous route ^vas employed. They were irsu- 

 ally made every w^eek for three or four successive days for a period 

 of six to seven weeks. The final Ijleedings were made about ten 



