PAET TI. 

 THE PRECIPITINS. 



SECTION I. 



METHODS. 

 Methodfi nf treating rahhits for the production of precipitating antisera. 



Different methods of injecting blood, serum, etc. have been used 

 by various authors. Tchistovitch and Bordet injected rabbits intra- 

 peritoneally, a method followed by Myers, Uhlenhuth, Nuttall, and 

 many others since. The- subcutaneous method has been used by 

 Wassermann, Stern, Dieudonne, Zuelzer ; the intravenous by Mertens, 

 Leclainche and Valine, Strube. The subcutaneous method has been 

 claimed to have the advantage of offering less chance of infection, 

 a poor reason if proper aseptic precautions are employed. In my 

 experience it has been difficult to inject quantities of fluid at all 

 comparable to what may be introduced intraperitoneally, sloughing 

 being produced when larger quantities are injected beneath the skin. 

 The intravenous method has recently been advocated by Strube, and 

 Kister and Wolff, on the ground that it is possible thereby to shorten 

 the time of treatment needed by the intraperitoneal method, a smaller 

 amount of blood being required to be injected. 



Rabbits when properly treated by any of the above methods will 

 yield effective antisera. The blood injected should be sterile, if necessary 

 filtered as serum through porcelain, as recommended by myself, Uhlen- 

 huth and others. Othenvise freshly defibrinated blood may be used ; some 

 claim it yields more powerful antisera. Serum is best for intravenous 

 injections. Pleuritic and peritoneal exudation, hydrocele fluid, albu- 

 minous urine, have been used in place of serum by a number of different 

 workers, the impression prevailing, however, that these yield less potent 



4—2 



