526 IMMUNOLOGY 



As a result of numerous investigations of the tuberculin, ty- 

 phoidin, abortin and mallein reactions, which are of the tuber- 

 culin t.ype, it appears that certain essential points of dissimilarity 

 exist between protein anaphylaxis and bacterial allergy of the 

 tuberculin type. An interesting review of the early literature 

 along with important experimental data bearing upon this prob- 

 lem is included in an excellent paper by Fleischner, Meyer and 

 Shaw (1919). For a more extensive discussion of Brucellosis the 

 student is referred to a very interesting paper by Giltner (1934). 



In 1921 Zinsser made an extensive study of bacterial allergy 

 and anaphylaxis and summarized the points of difference between 

 the two phenomena. Aronson (1933) investigated by means of 

 tissue cultures the relation of the tul)erculin reaction to anaphy- 

 laxis and the Artlius phenomenon. He confirmed the results of Rich 

 and Tjcwis who found that tissue explants of l)one marrow and 

 spleen from tul)erculous guinea pigs are killed by dilute solutions 

 of tuberculin tliat are nontoxic for similar explants from normal 

 animals. When lie adds dilutions of horse serum to similar ex- 

 plants from guinea pigs sensitized to horse serum the tissue cells 

 are not killed but grow as well as explants from normal guinea 

 pigs used in control experiments. These findings are in harmony 

 with the tissue culture studies of Meyer and Loewenthal (1927), 

 cited by Aronson, although contradictory results are reported by 

 others. The differences suggested by Zinsser have been tabulated 

 by Dienes and Mallory (1932). Their table, with the addition of 

 the difference suggested by Aronson (1933) and others, is shown 

 in Table XYI. 



Possible Explanation of Apparent Dissimilarities Between 

 Anaphylaxis and Tuberculin Allergy. — It is generally agreed 

 that the union of antigen and antibody is in some manner respon- 

 sible for anaphylactic reactions The first two points of dissimilarity 

 between the latter and tuberculin allergy tabulated above would 

 seem to indicate that the tuberculin reaction is not mediated by a 

 similar mechanism. That such a conclusion is not warranted 

 at the present time is indicated by the experimental results of 

 Dienes and Schoenheit (1929, 1930) and of Dienes and Mallory 

 (1932). The former report that when tuberculous guinea pigs 

 are sensitized to crystalline egg albumen by injecting it directly in- 

 to a tuberculous lesion and subsequently testing by injecting 



