152 LOCAL TLSSUE REACTIVITY 



Skin-preparatory potency of turpentine: 



Protocol 16: Rabbits 49-4, 49-5. and 49-G were iiijctlcd with turpentine 

 into lour ;iicas ol the skin of the abdomen. The upper and lower right areas 

 were injected with dilution 1:10 and tlie upper and lower left areas with 

 dilution 1:5. Twenty-four hours later, there were no abscesses in turpentine 

 injected areas, but they were distinctly red. The intravenous injections of 

 potent B. typhosus cidture filtrate (tryptic digest broth, strain Tl) in a dose 

 of 3 c.c. per kilo of body weight, produced no reactiorrs in the prepared areas. 



Protocol 17: The upper and lower right and left areas of the skin of 

 the abdomen of Rabbit 6-3 and 6-9 were injected with 0.2 c.c. of undiluted 

 tinpentine and turpentine diluted 1:10, 1:20 and 1:40, respectively. Twenty- 

 four hoi:rs later, the upper right quadrants of the skin of the abdomen of 

 Ijoth animals showed well formed abscesses; the remaining areas showed red- 

 dening, but no pus was seen. Twenty-four hours after the skin injection, 

 B. typhosus (strain T 240) tryptic digest broth culture filtrate, the potency 

 of which was ascertained on the day of the experiment, was injected intrave- 

 nously into these animals. The dose was 3 c.c, per kilo of weight. No local 

 skin reactions followed the intravenous injections. 



It was concluded from these preliminary observations that non- 

 specific irritants cotild not substitute for the skin-preparatory fac- 

 tors of B. typJtosus cultme filtrates. The experiments in this di- 

 rection were further amplified ^vith a great variety of non-bacterial 

 substances, and all xuerc found totally devoid of skin-preparatory 

 potency (Sh^vartzman, 1928/;, and iuij)iU)lished obserxations) , as 

 folloAvs: 



Skin-preparatory potency of gum tragacanth, crystalline egg 

 albumin, blood sera, sodium arsenate, spirits of nitro- 

 glycerine, India ink: 



The substances used to elicit the skin reactivity xvere selected 

 '^vith the folloxving purposes in mind: to "block" locally the 

 reticido-endothelial cells (it is not knoxvn Avhether a blockade in 

 the literal sense occms) , and to increase the permeability of the 

 capillaries with or xvithout local inflammation (Sinvart/.maji, 

 i()28/;, i9;^^o^) . 



Protocol 18: One area of the skin of the abdomen of each rabbit was 

 injected with 0.25 c.c. of undiluted B. typliosiis filtrate "Aj^." Three more 

 skin sites were each injected with 0.25 c.c. of various dilutions of the sub- 

 stances tested. A group of 4 rabbits was used with each substance save India 

 ink which was tested in 8 rabbits. The substances were as follows:— 2, 0.5 and 

 0.005 per cent of gum tragacanth; 2, 0.5 and 0.05 per cent of crystalline egg 

 albumin; undiluted normal horse serum and normal horse senmi previously 

 diluted 1:10 and 1:100; 2. 0.5 and 0.05 per cent of sodium arsenate; 10, 1 

 and 0.1 per cent of spirits of nitroglycerine and Higgins' waterproof India 



