1 34 IMMUNO-CATALYSIS 



complement was not prevented. On the contrary, they observed an 

 acceleration of hemolysis. 



In a subsequent study Moreschi (1908) observed that red blood 

 corpuscles, which were sensitized with a non-agglutinating dose of a 

 corresponding immune serum and w^ashed free of excess serum, treated 

 with a small amount of a precipitin containing serum underwent 

 readily a strong agglutination. He also observed the same effect in 

 bacterial agglutinations. Altman (1912) using sensitized and washed 

 red blood cells as immunizing agents obtained results similar to those 

 of Friedberger and Moreschi (1908). 



The formation of anti-antibodies capable of neutralizing the lytic 

 action of antibacterial immune sera were reported by Pfeiffer and 

 Friedberger (1903). It was, however, immaterial whether the rabbits 

 were immunized with normal or artificially immunized goat serum. 

 Pfeiffer and Friedberger interpreting their results were inclined to as- 

 sume that various antibodies supplied by the same species of animal, 

 speaking in Ehrlichian terms, possess a common group, which char- 

 acterized the species of animal from which it originates, and that the 

 anti-immune-serum in some way must be related to this group. 



Dehne and Hamburger (1904) had shown that normal horse serum 

 precipitinogen as a normal constitutent of horse serum is closely as- 

 sociated with the horse antitoxins. Kraus and Pribram (1905) re- 

 ported that horse sera containing a high agglutinin titer for typhoid 

 bacilli were completely absorbed out by anti-horse rabbit serum. Ex- 

 periments with anti-cholera immune horse serum yielded similar re- 

 sults. The anti-bacterial horse antibodies and normal horse serum 

 precipitinogens were shown to possess a common combining group. 



Landsteiner and Prasek (1911) immunized rabbits against goat 

 serum. The immune serum reacted strongly with goat serum. The 

 immune rabbit serum inhibited goat agglutinins, particularly the 

 bacterial agglutinins. These facts indicated that precipitins acted as 

 anti-agglutinins. 



d. Non-Identity of the Combining Sites for Antigen and Anti- 

 body in an Antitoxin Molecule. Eisler (1920) found that horse serum 

 antitoxin (tetanus, diphtheria) could be precipitated by a rabbit immune 

 serum against horse serum even after combination with toxin. Smith 

 and Marrack (1930) showed that antitoxin and toxin-antitoxin floc- 

 cules react like pseudoglobulin with anti-pseudoglobulin serum. They 



