IMMUNITY IN EXPP:RIMENTAL INFECTIONS 137 



by the aecuinulation of polymorphonuclear leucocytes attracted or 

 retained there l)y clieniotactic or electrotrophic influences." Both 

 types of cells engulfed and destroyed bacteria, tlie outcome of 

 the battle depending upon the virulence and number of the latter. 



Teale (1935) reports the results of an extensive study of the 

 relative importance of the retieulo-endothelial tissues and the cir- 

 culating antibody in immunity. He reports that immunized an- 

 imals whose blood did not contain agglutinin, germicidal power or 

 protective antibody tested in passive transfer, were able to clear 

 completely the peripheral circulation of highly virulent bacteria 

 against which they had been immunized. 



He also gives protocols showing that normal animals, which he 

 assumed had no circulating antibodies, were likewise able to free 

 the peripheral circulation of virulent organisms although they 

 could not prevent the occurrence of secondary waves of fatal bac- 

 teremia as could the immune animals. 



These results are not out of line with the findings of others and 

 do not, in the case of immune animals, exclude antibodies present 

 in the tissues from playing a role in defense. Furthermore, in the 

 immune animals the anamnestic reaction (hair-trigger mechanism) 

 might operate and circulating antibodies appear folloAving the test 

 injection of bacteria. 



In regard to his protocols on normal animals he states that 

 ''the rabbit is generally stated to have no antibody against B. dys- 

 cnteriae (Shiga) nor the organism of fowl cholera." He has ap- 

 parently accepted this assumption in lieu of testing the rabbits he 

 used. There seems to be good reason to question this assumption 

 since Mackie and Finkelstein (1931, 1932) reported that normal 

 rabbit blood is frequently germicidal for B. dysenteriae (Shiga), 

 and Coriell, Miller, and Sherwood (1940) confirmed the conclusion 

 of Mackie and Finkelstein and in addition found bactericidal anti- 

 bodies for the organism of fowl cholera. Teale apparently as- 

 sumes that such antibodies do not exist. 



In spite of these differences of opinion we are in agreement with 

 his major thesis that resistance to infection does not necessarily 

 parallel the content of circulating antibody. In fact we have cited 

 other literature to that effect and also work done in this laboratory 

 showing that no virucidal antibody could be demonstrated in cats 

 exhibiting a solid immunity to a strain of vaccine virus that pro- 



