METHODS OF ELICITATION OF PHENOMENON 21 1 



tions Avhen a preparatory injection ol li\e bacteria or viruses is 

 made into the general circulation. 



Sanarelli (1924) described exj^erinients in which ral)bits re- 

 ceived an intravenous injection of a sublethal dose of a live cul- 

 tme of Vibrio cholerae followed by an intravenous injection of 

 B. coli or B. proteus cidture filtrate, twenty-four hoins later. The 

 second injection elicited hemorrhagic lesions in the small intes- 

 tines, mesentery, and kidneys, and killed a large percentage of 

 rabbits. Invariably, it was possible to demonstrate cholera vibrios 

 in the intestinal ^vall of animals injected. 



After I described the phenomenon of local skin reactivity to 

 bacterial filtrates in 1928, P. Bordet (i9'^i) and later Gratia and 

 Linz (1932c) interpreted Sanarelli's experiments in the light of 

 my observations.* They assumed that the first intravenous injec- 

 tion of li\'e J'ibiio clwlerne induced in the intestines a state of 

 reacti\ity by means of the preparatory factors operative in the 

 phenomenon of local skin reactivity to bacterial filtrates. The 

 provocati\ e injection of the filtrate of B. coli or B. proteus elicited, 

 then, hemorrhagic lesions in the intestines. To pro\e this conten- 

 tion. Gratia and Linz gave to guinea pigs t^vo intravenous injec- 

 tions of bacterial filtrates potent in the elicitation of the phenom- 

 enon of local skin reactivity {Vibrio cholerae) , t^venty-foiu^ horns 

 apart, and obtained hemorrhages in the peritoneal ca\ity and, in 

 one instance, hemorrhagic lesions in the large intestines stibse- 

 quent to the second injection. 



It is obvious, however, that Sanarelli's observations belong to 

 a group in ^vhich in addition to soluble bacterial principles op- 

 erative in the phenomenon of local skin reactivity to bacterial 

 filtrates, the effects of the live organisms used for the prepara- 

 tory injection are to be considered. These effects are possibly: 



Local inflammatory reactions to live bacteria ^vhich may change 

 the capillary permeability; formation of bacterial foci ^vhich may 

 act as provocative agents upon distant reacti\e sites; and the 

 inherent selective affinity of the organisms employed for various 

 organs, etc. W^ith our present knoAvledge, an attempt is made 

 merely to outline roughly the possible complex role that the com- 

 bined effect of li\e bacteria w'lXh the soluble bacterial factors 

 may ha\e in the elicitation of the lesions described by Sanarelli. 

 It is noteworthy in this connection that in his experiments reac- 



* Although ]'. Bordet was the first author calling attention to this fact, it \vas 

 found more con\enient to present his woik lollowiiig tlic work ot C.ratia and I. in/ 

 (pp. 215-218). 



