562 BIOLOGY OF PNEUMOCOCCUS 



the earlier impression of Kolmer and Matsumoto. In spite of these 

 concurring opinions, the hypothesis should be subjected to further 

 investigation, including a study of the effect of heterophile anti- 

 bodies. Sabin and Wallace (1931) 1210 reported the results of 

 studies on the nature of the chill-producing principle in antipneu- 

 mococcic serum. They were unable to find any relation between the 

 reaction and the presence of formed elements, fibrinogen, or lipids, 

 but confirmed Felton's belief that the agent in the acid fraction is 

 probably carried by the globulin through an adsorptive process. 



The administration of antipneumococcic fowl serum to pneu- 

 monia patients was found by Kyes (1918) 767 to result almost in- 

 variably in severe chills. In a later report, Kyes and Carey 

 (1927) 768 suggested that the antecedents of fibrin present in se- 

 rum, by favoring the formation of fibrinous emboli in the blood 

 stream, were responsible for serum shock. By treating the serum 

 with calcium or cephalin and removing the resultant precipitate, 

 the authors claimed to have rendered fowl serum free of shock- 

 producing qualities. Meyers (1932) 900 reported a series of studies 

 in which titrations were made of the fibrinogen content of anti- 

 pneumococcic horse serum. The investigations appear to be chiefly 

 concerned with serum disease rather than with chill-reactions, but 

 from the results the author concluded that fibrinogen was not in- 

 volved. The intravenous injection of reasonably pure fibrinogen 

 failed to cause reactions, whereas concentrated serum, containing 

 no detectable fibrinogen, not infrequently produced serum shock. 



The acid fraction. In 1928, Felton, 403 after describing his 

 method of concentrating antipneumococcic serum by the use of 

 sodium sulfate, recommended the removal of a precipitate that 

 formed when the reaction of the dialyzed material was adjusted to 

 pH 4.6 to 4.8. The supernatant fluid, after removal of the acid 

 fraction, was readjusted to pH 6.8 and diluted with distilled 

 water. The white precipitate thus formed, when dissolved in salt 

 solution, was reported to be practically free from severe chill-pro- 

 ducing properties. In studying the possible causes of chill-pro- 



