REACTING POTENCY 283 



\\'Iietlier the reaction could l)e passively transferred to normal 

 rahi)its. The antibodies employed ^vere anti-horse rabbit sera, 

 anti-human horse sera, and anti-pneumococcirs Type III horse 

 sera. The antigens ^vere normal rabl)it and himian sera, and 

 pnetuiiococciis Type III cidtine hltrate. On repeated retests, 

 this filtrate pro\ed incapa])le oi eliciting any reaction when in- 

 jected intravenously in a dose of 4 c.c. per kilo of body weight, 

 into rabbits prepared ^vith a B. typhosus and meningococcus 

 filtrate. In the experiments described here a dose of only 2 c.c. 

 ■was employed. 



One or two skin sites Avere each injected with 0.25 c.c. of B. 

 typlwsus or meningococctis "agar washings" filtrate. Twenty-fotir 

 hours later, the prepared skin sites were injected ^\ith the anti- 

 body-containing sera and simidtaneoiisly injected intravenously 

 ^vith the homologous antigens. Foiu^ to five hotns after the intra- 

 \enoiis injection there appeared severe hemorrhagic necrosis in 

 the injected skin sites. 



In other experiments, the antigens -were injected into the skin 

 and the antibodies intravenously. These experiments were posi- 

 tive provided a sufficiently large amotnit of antibody w^as injected 

 intravenotisly. Thtis, a dose of 6 c.c. per kilo of body Aveight, of 

 anti-human horse sertmi gave negative restilts, \vhilst 10 c.c. gave 

 strong reactions. Also, a dose of 10 c.c. per kilo of body weight, 

 of anti-horse rabbit seriun "was necessary for the elicitation of 

 the reaction. 



A ntnnber of experiments clearly demonstrated the specificity 

 of the passi\e transfer described. In the work ^vith pnetnnococcus 

 Type III filtrate, there ^vas observed serological type specificity 

 as well. 



No incubation period was reqtiired for the passive sensitiza- 

 tion, the experiments being successful ^vhen the injections of the 

 antibody and the antigen were made simultaneously. As in the 

 case of actively sensitized rabbits, it was necessary to allow a defi- 

 nite incubation ]:)eriod for the preparatory effect of the bacterial 

 filtrates (Shwartzman, 1932/?, 1933) . 



EFFECT OF BACTERIAL FILTRATES INJECTED INTRA VASCULARLY UPON 

 REACTIONS TO ANTIGEN -|- ANTIBODY COMPLEXES 



It was already emphasized that in the ])henomenon of local 

 skin reactivity to bacterial filtrates the pre{)aratory injection of 



