404 LOCAL TLSSUE REACTIVLIY 



(1929) cite one in,stru(ti\'e instaiuc in which an old serum, very 

 poor in agi^lutinins, i>a\e excellent (linical results. In the ^vork 

 described in this jn()n<)i>iaph considciahle encoina<j,enient may be 

 gained Irom the obserxation already pointed oiu that the anti- 

 bodies capable ol neutralizing the active principles ol the phe- 

 nomenon also tail to bear any relationship to the agglutinin 

 contents of the sera and therefore, the laboratory evaluation of 

 the sera by means of the phenomenon deserves special con- 

 sideration. 



Although sera of high phenomenon-neutralizing antibodies 

 have been prepared by a nimiber of investigators (Wadsworth, 

 Po^vell and jamieson and others) only scanty information exists 

 as yet as to their clinical \'alue. Observations made, however, by 

 Powell and jamieson (19,'p, ^9?)^^) 'ii^ of interest in this con- 

 nection. 



These authors thought that the use of combined neutralizing 

 and anti-bacterial serum contributed greatly to the sense of well 

 being of the patients. They appeared markedly detoxified. It has 

 been found also that such combined neutralizing and agglutinat- 

 ing serum could be administered with impunity intravenously to 

 those severe cases ^vith heavy blood stream infection. The serum 

 was tested by Kemp in over 90 uncontrolled cases of menin- 

 gococcus meningitis epidemic in Indianapolis in 1931. 



It appears from the studies thus far made that it may be of 

 interest to prepare for clinical study anti-meningococcus thera- 

 peutic sera potent in the neutralization of the active ])rinciples 

 of the phenomenon in the following manner: 



1. Horses should be imminiized by both subcutaneous injec- 

 tions of meningococcus toxic filtrates and intravenous injections 

 of live meningococcus cultures. 



2. The imminiizing material should consist of filtrates and 

 cultures of stock strains of various serologic groups and of filtrates 

 and cultmes of "variants." The "variants" may be defined as 

 strains of a given serological group that produce reacting" factors 

 the neutralizability of 'vvhich is different from that of the reacting 

 factors derived from the stock strains of the same group. The 

 "variants" may be obtained by passage through mice and by /// 

 vitro passage through immune serum; possibly, also, among strains 

 freshly isolated in cases of meningitis in man. 



3. The innniurization shoidd ])e continued luitil a serimi is 



