70 IMMUNO-CATALYSIS 



At this period there was no significant antibody in the serum, ahhough 

 by ten days considerable amounts were detectable. Similar results 

 were obtained in experiments with dysentery agglutinogen and phage. 

 However, when staphylococcal toxoid was similarly studied, as the 

 most convenient representative of these antigens, no clear evidence of 

 antibody production in the local lymph node could be detected. 



Since the primary antitoxic response was of such small extent, 

 Burnet, et at. investigated the secondary response (specific anamnestic 

 response) to the staphylococcal toxoid to detect antibody production in 

 the lymph nodes. The toxoid was first injected intravenously; nineteen 

 days later it was given subcutaneously in the right foot. A sharp rise in 

 antitoxic titer of the serum had commenced on the 22nd day, and, 

 believing that the secondary production of antitoxin was at its height, 

 the rabbits were killed on the 24th day. The lymph nodes were re- 

 moved, cleared of fat, and after weighing, they were emulsified (by 

 grinding with quartz powder). After centrifuging the emulsion the 

 filtered supernatant fluid was titrated for its antibody content. Ex- 

 pressing the values per gram of tissue they found that there was a con- 

 siderable enlargement of the lymph node on the inoculated side, but 

 there was only a barely significant difference in the antitoxic titers. 

 Four days after the subcutaneous injections a low titer of antitoxin in 

 the serum of rabbits was obtained, and there was no antitoxin in the 

 left node, and only the smallest detectable trace in the right. In view of 

 these and similar results they stated: "The general conclusion seems 

 justified that antibody is produced by those phagocytic cells of the 

 reticulo-endothelial system which ingest the antigen; which group is 

 actually concerned in any particular instance will be determined by 

 the site of infection of inoculation, and the subsequent spread of the 

 antigen in the body." 



a. The Hormonal Control of Anamnestic Response and Lympho- 

 cytes. It has frequently been observed that the amount of antibody in 

 the circulatory system increases following the injection of a non-specific 

 protein, or other non-antigenic substances. A reference has already 

 been made (p. 33) to an observation that the administration of a 

 non-specific substance, such as the plant alkaloid pilocarpin, stimulates 

 the restoration of antibody production. This reaction has been known 

 as the anamnestic reaction. This, as evidence for the increased produc- 

 tion of antibody, has, however, not generally been accepted (Land- 



