ABSTRACTS 



369 



Complement Fixation in Intestinal Parasitism of Dogs. John A. Kol- 

 MER, Mary E. Trist and George D. Heist. (Jour. Infect. Dis- 

 eases, 1916, 18, 88-105.) 



The aim of the investigation was to ascertain by complement faxa- 

 tion tests whether the absorption of foreign substances and conse- 

 quent production of specific antibodies occurred in dogs infected with 

 intestinal parasites. For antigens were used salt solution and alcoholic 

 extracts of various species of Tenia, Dipylidium, Ascaris and Strongylus. 

 The antisheep hemolytic system was employed. Each one of 172 

 dog sera was tested with all of the antigens. Serum tests and feces 

 examinations together were made in 110 cases. The results of feces 

 examinations showed infections as follows: Ascaris (23 per cent), 

 Ascaris and Trichocephalis (20 per cent). Tenia (6 per cent), Dipylidium 

 (3.6 per cent), no infection (26 per cent). These results did not con- 

 form with the serum examinations since (1) dogs showing the ova of 

 certain parasites failed to react with the corresponding antigen, and 

 (2) positive reactions were frequently obtained with antigens of types 

 whose eggs were not found in the feces. The analysis of the data, 

 however, leads the authors to conclude that the production of anti- 

 bodies may occur after infestation with the common intestinal para- 

 sites. Such antibodies were in special evidence in tapeworm infesta- 

 tions, less so in round worm and only slightly in whip worm infestations. 

 The reactions as a whole are stated to have suggested a biologic rela- 

 tion between the tapeworms Tenia serrata and Dipylidium caninuyn, 

 and between Ascaris canis and Strongylus gigas. The authors state 

 that complement fixation tests may be of value in the diagnosis of 

 intestinal parasitism of man. — P. B. H. 



Studies in Non-Specific Complement Fixation: I. Non-Specific Com- 

 plement Fixation by Normal Rabbit Serum. John A. Kolmer and 

 Mary E. Trist. (Jour. Infect. Diseases, 1916, 18, 20-26.) 

 The authors direct attention to the fact that fresh active sera from 

 normal rabbits, in doses of 0.1 cc. show non-specific fixation with 

 lipoidal extracts in 5 to 15 per cent of sera tested. When the same 

 sera were inactivated by heating fixation occurred in 38 to 49 per cent 

 of sera. In the case of both active and inactivated sera the percentage 

 of positive reactions increased in the following order when the sub- 

 stances named were used as antigens: (1) alcoholic extract of heart 

 muscle reinforced with cholesterin, (2) alcoholic extract of syphilitic 

 liver, (3) extract of acetone insoluble lipoids. With bacterial anti- 

 gens '(staphylococci, colon, typhoid) fixation occurred in some degree in 

 31 to 42 per cent of cases, with active sera, and in 51 to 62 per cent when 

 inactivated sera were used. The rabbits tested were conservative m 

 their reactions, 80 per cent being persistently positive or persistently 

 negative in successive examinations. The authors conclude by recom- 

 mending that "when rabbits are to be employed for experimental studies 

 with a view to using their sera for complement-fixation tests, their 

 sera should be tested one or more times before inoculation preferably 



