34^ LOCAL TISSUE REACTIVITY 



()l)\i()iis lioiii the- al)()\c (lcs( rij)t ion iliai toxin liypciscnsitixeness 

 bears little similarity to the phenomenon oi local tissue reactivity, 

 inasmuch as in the former there is a specific relationship between 

 the sensiti/in" and proxocative factors and also because of the 

 fact that the symptoms are typical of the toxin used. Conversely, 

 in the })henomenon the lesions are the same ^vith active ])rinci- 

 ples derived from different bacteria. 



THE REI.ATION OF SPONTANEOUS BACTERIAL H Vl'ERSENSlTIVENESS 

 TO THE PHENOMENON 



As already mentioned. Hanger claimed that the phenomenon 

 of local skin reactivity to filtrates of gram-negative microorgan- 

 isms may be due to spontaneous sensitization of the rafjbits to 

 these organisms commonly present in the upper respiratory 

 tract. The suggestion came from the fact that B. lepisepticus cul- 

 tiue filtrate used fjy this author for reproduction of the phenom- 

 enon gave severe primary inflammation. The examination of 

 this investigator's own protocols (Hanger, 1928&) clearly shows 

 that no correlation exists bet^veen the direct cutaneous reactions 

 to these filtrates and the reaction of the phenomenon. Further- 

 more, the phenomenon of local tissue reactivity may be pro- 

 duced by a great variety of microorganisms, some among them 

 normally not foimd in ral:)bits. The decisive argument against 

 Hanger's contention lies in the fact that provided sufficient doses 

 are used tlie phenomenon can be elicited ^vith meningococcus 

 "agar washings" filtrates in 100 per cent of rabbits as has already 

 been mentioned several times. Plant (1932) foiuid that cidtines 

 of Spirocheta pallida rendered active by preliminary dialysis, 

 produced the same reactions in syphilitic and in normal rabbits. 

 Also, in my own experiments cidtiues and cidture filtrates of 

 Streptococcus viridans failed to indtice reactions in normal rabbits 

 and streptococcus sensitized rafjbits. The sensitization was fre- 

 quently carried out for several months by repeated intravenous in- 

 jections of heat-killed and live ctdtures. Some rabbits were injected 

 subciUaneously with agar masses infected wath Streptococcus viri- 

 dans (the method of sensitization used by Swift and his co-workers 

 [1926]) . The tests were done at frequent intervals for the following 

 period of one to tw-o months. 



Apitz also disagrees with Hanger's contention on similar 

 grounds. Karsner and Moritz (1934) pointed oiU that the histo- 

 logical studies of the skin sites prepared with bacterial filtrates 



