NATURE OF ANTIBODIES 205 



The reason for describing Kolmer's technique and omitting oth- 

 ers is that the committee on Adherence to Conventional Technic 

 in the Performance of Reliable Serologic Tests for Syphilis, ap- 

 pointed, I believe, by the Surgeon General, has approved the 

 Kolmer complement fixation technique. For this reason it is be- 

 ing used, or is coming into use, in control and local laboratories 

 throughout the TTnited States. It is lioped that the student will 

 realize that many of the requirements laid down by Kolmer are 

 empirical ones whih^ the principles underlying the tests are basic. 

 It is true that empirical requirements such as the order of mixing, 

 time of incubation, dilutions of amboceptor and complement used 

 in titration, volume of fluid containing a unit or test dose, tlie 

 unit of red cells, the temperature and time of inactivation, etc., 

 all are based U])on good reasons mostly for economy of time, re- 

 agents or for convenience. A good standard technique could be 

 set up in which either slight or marked variation from Kolmer's 

 would be used and results obtained that would be equally as ac- 

 curate. Unfortunately there are bad modifications as well as good 

 ones and it seems that in the interest of good serology it is best 

 to recommend one good uniform technique as has been done by the 

 committee. The basic things in all of these tests are the nature of 

 the antigens, the laws governing the union of antigen and anti- 

 body, the binding of complement, the lysis of cells and the physical 

 and chemical constitution of the reagents employed. These are 

 not empirical things. 



References 



Ando, K., Manako, K., and Takeda, S.: Studies on Serum-fractions. V. 

 The Fraction of Antidiphtheric Horse-serum Precipitable by Anti- 

 serum Prepared With the Floccules of Diphtheric Toxoid-Antitoxin, 

 J. Immunol. 34: 295, 1938. 



Ando, K., Takeda, S., and Hamano, M.: Studies on Serum-fractions. VI. 

 The Close Serologic Relationship of Different Antibacterial Anti- 

 body-globulins, J. Immunol. 34: 303, 1938. 



Bordet, J.: See Chapter XII. 



Boyd, W. C, and Hooker, S. B.: Note on the Mechanism of Specific Ag- 

 glutination, Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol. & Med. 39: 491, 1938. 



Cannon, P. E., Baer, R. B., Sullivan, F. L., and Webster, J. R.: The In- 

 fluence of Blockade of the Reticuloendothelial System on the Forma- 

 tion of Antibodies, J. Immunol. 17: 441, 1929. 



Cannon, P. R., and Marshall, C. E.: An Improved Serologic Method for the 

 Determination of the Precipitative Titers of Antisera, J. Immunol. 

 38: 365, 1940. 



Chase, M. W., and Landsteiner, K.: Immunochemistry, Ann. Rev. Biochem. 

 8: 579, 1939. 



