314 LOCAL TISSUE REACTIVITY 



dyspnea, asphyxia. ()j)a(ity of crystalline lens and serous loaniing 

 ironi the nose. Death occurred ironi twelve to thirty hours later. 

 On aiit()})sy there was {(ingestion of the lungs Avith hemorrhagic 

 spots, tumefaction of laryngeal and tracheal muco.sa, and hemcjr- 

 rhagic serous extidation in the respiratory tract. The sensitivity of 

 rabbits differed. Some withstood an injection of 1 c.c, whilst 

 others died from 0.2 c.c. of the same fUtrate. The concentrated 

 filtrates of P. Bordet were potent in the elicitation of the phenom- 

 enon of local skin reactivity. Animals withstanding the large doses 

 of the concentrated hltrate were also immune to the phenomenon. 

 For these reasons this atithor supports my conception of close 

 relationship of toxins to the active principles of the phenomenon. 

 Malcolm and White (1932) experimented with meningococcus 

 endotoxic preparations described by Besredka, Gordon, Murray, 

 and others and finally arrived at a method yielding a stable prepa- 

 ration which is as follows: 



Meningococcus "agar washings" are treated with N/5 sodium hydroxide 

 for twenty-four hours at 37° c. The material is diluted in distilled water (4 

 c.c. of the water and an amount of sediment corresponding to 0.1 gm. of 

 the dry weight of meningococcus) . Acetic acid is then added to the iso- 

 electric range (pH 3.8 to 4.2) . The solution is heated at 95 per cent for 

 ten minutes, centrifuged, filtered through a Berkcfield N candle and buf- 

 fered at pH 4.0 with acetic acid and ammonium hydroxide. 



According to these atithors the material is strongly lethal for 

 mice. The effect is accompanied by blindness, paralysis and 

 hemorrhage in the brain and meninges. Rabbits may also be killed 

 within twenty-four horns by an intra venotis injection of the ma- 

 terial. Subdural inoctdations into these animals lead to paralysis 

 and frequently death within one hotn\ The primary effect of sub- 

 ctitaneoiis injections into rabbits is severe and expresses itself in 

 necrosis, infiltration, hemorrhage and symptoms of general intoxi- 

 cation. The response to the intradermal inoctdations varies ^\dth 

 breeds of rabbits. The intradermal inoculations elicit erythema 

 in a few hours which may be followed by hemorrhage, edema 

 and necrosis. 



When the above described preparations are Aveakened bv lieat- 

 ing or dilution to a point showing no primary reaction upon intra- 

 dermal inoctilation, they can l3e successfully used for the elicita- 

 tion of the phenomenoir, i.e., sites prepared vvith tiiis material 

 may sho^v severe hemorrhagic necrosis following the intravenous 

 injection of a given amount of the same material. It is noteworthy 



