HOWARD T. KARSNER 977 



The nitrogen metabolism seems to be variable. The blood shows a slight increase in 

 total non-protein nitrogen (Jobling, Peterson, and Eggstein)/ in urea and creatinine (Ma- 

 jor)/ and in amino-acids (Zunz and Gyorgy) ;3 but the lungs (Auer and Van Slyke)'' and the 

 liver (Barger and Dale)s show no increase in free amino nitrogen. Wells states that such 

 increases in amino nitrogen, if they occur at all, are not large enough to be significant. 



Lumiere* has emphasized flocculation of plasma proteins as demonstrated by Dold^ and 

 further investigated by use of the nephelometer, tyndallometer, and agglinoscope (see also 

 Kopaczewski) .^ Zunz and La Barre and Kopaczewski have demonstrated fall in surface 

 tension. The refractive capacity is increased, but not the rotatory. The viscosity of the whole 

 blood is increased and sedimentation speed of corpuscles decreased, together with alteration 

 of colloids so that they are readily precipitated (Wittkower).' Most of these changes are not 

 peculiar to anaphylactic shock and have been demonstrated in certain of the anaphylactoid 

 phenomena. 



SPECIFICITY OF ANAPHYLAXIS 



Problems of specificity have been studied in simple fashion by observing shock 

 reactions in animals variously sensitized and variously shocked. Passive sensitiza- 

 tion as well as inhibition of shock by injection of proteins has also been employed. 

 Probably the most delicate and certainly more open to quantitative determinations 

 is the guinea pig uterus method of Dale. 



By the use of sera and native proteins, the anaphylactic reaction is species 

 specific and shows group reactions just as do the immune reactions. Extracts of 

 organs within the same species show only relative specificity, slight in degree (Pearce, 

 Karsner, and Eisenbrey).'" After desensitization with serum there is no organ speci- 

 ficity (Minet and Bruyant)." The exception to this is the protein of crystalline lens, 

 which shows organ but not species specificity. The experiments of Dale and Hartley'^ 

 with crystallized egg proteins, employing quantitative methods with the guinea pig 

 uterus, show a certain organ specificity and a presumptive species specificity. 



Wells states that "experiments with such hopelessly complex mixtures as are 

 furnished by serum, organ extracts, or even egg white and milk cannot be expected to 

 yield much valuable information concerning specificity." He has utilized purified 

 vegetable proteins and certain animal proteins which resist heat coagulation or are 

 crystallizable. Osborne and Wakeman"'^ have studied in the same manner proteins of 



'Jobling, J. W., Petersen, W. F., and Eggstein, A. A.: J. Exper. Med., 22, 401. 1915. 



= Major, R. H.: Deutsche Arch. f. klin. Med., 116, 248. 1914. 



3 Zunz, E., and Gyorgy, P.: Zlschr.f. Immiinitdtsforsch. 11. exper. Therap., 23, 402. 1915. 



4 Auer, J., and Van Slyke, D. D.: /. Exper. Med., 18, 210. 1913. 



s Barger, G., and Dale, H. H.: Biochem. J ., 8, 670. 1914. 



'Lumiere, A. : Le Prohlcme de Vanaphylaxie. Paris: Doin, 1924. 



^Dold, H.: Deutsche mei. Wchnschr., 47, 413. 1921. 



* Kopaczewski, W.: Conipt. rend. Soc. de bioL, 82, 590. 1919; Conipt. rend. Acad, de sc, 172, 337. 

 1921; Kopaczewski, W., and Roffo, A. H.: ibid., 170, 1409. 1920; Compt. rend. Soc. de biol., 83, 857. 

 1920. 



' Wittkower, E.: Klin. Wchnschr., 2, 450. 1923. 



'" Pearce, R. M., Karsner, H. T., and Eisenbrey, A. B.: J. Exper. Med., 14, 44. 191 1. 



" Minet, J., and Bruyant, L.: Compt. rend. Soc. de biol., 71, 166. 1911. 



" Dale, H. H., and Hartley, P.: Biochem. /., 10, 408. 1916. 



'J Osborne, T. B., and Wakeman, A. J.: /. Biol. Chem., 33, 7, 243. 1918. 



