29 243 



of V120 normal slienglh destroys practically none of the agglutinine; while the equi- 

 molecular NaOH solution, acting under identical circumstances, may reduce the 

 agglutinating power of the immune-serum to '/so of its original value. 



Still, in the case of the alkali as with the acid, the apparent destruction of the 

 agglutinating power is greater than the actual destruction, as is shewn when the 

 alkalised serum is neutralised with the calculated quantity of HCl, and two scries 

 of tubes are set up, one for the alkalised serum and the other for the same serum 

 after it has been thus neutrahsed by the addition of HCl. 



Bul although the actual destruction of agglutinine is greater in the case of the 

 alkali than it is with the acid, there is much less tendency to the appearance of 

 "zones of inhibited agglutination" and the other irregularities already detailed, in 

 the former case than there is in the latter. 



And here again we would advance the view that the phenomena are largely 

 due to a diminution of the velocity with which the reactions proceed in the presence 

 of certain quantities of NaOH, in opposition to the theory, given by Eisenberg & Volk, 

 and others, that it is due to the conversion of agglutinine into agglutinoid. For it 

 was invariably the case, that if the observations of the agglutination were made 

 after the tubes had stood for IV2 to 2 hours at 37", the loss in agglutinating power 

 exhibited by the serum was much greater than it proved to be if the measurements 

 were deferred until the lubes had stood for a further 18 hours at the temperature 

 of the room. 



