ABSTRACTS 571 



Gonococcus-Complement Fixation: A New Lipoid Antigen. C. C. War- 

 den and L. E. Schmidt. (Jour, of Lab. and Clin. Med., 1916, 1, 

 333-347.) 



In complement fixation tests for gonorrhea, an antigen composed of 

 an alcoholic solution of the fats of the gonococcus gave a much higher 

 percent of positive reactions than a commercial watery antigen (Parke, 

 Davis and Company). With the Warden antigen the positive reac- 

 tions appeared earlier, persisted longer, and occurred in a larger number 

 of doubtful cases. Every case which gave a positive reaction with 

 commercial antigen was positive with the Warden antigen and usually 

 to a much greater degree. — M. W. C. 



The Bio-Chemistry of the Gonococcus in its Relation to Immunity. Carl 



C. Warden. (The Urologic and Cutaneous Review, 1916, 20, 181- 



182.) 



On analysis Gonococcus substance shows 12 per cent nitrogen, 20 

 per cent fat, together with phosphorus, sulphur, salts and ash. Wash- 

 ing removes nitrogen and fats. Gonococci possess at least three en- 

 zymes, one proteoljd^ic, one hydrolytic and one a lipase. 



An aqueous or normal salt suspension of gonococci behaves, physi- 

 cally, as a colloid with an electronegative sign and is flocculated or ag- 

 glutinated by electrolytes of opposite sign and by other colloids such 

 as serum, under certain conditions. — C. P. B. 



The Complement Deviation Reaction Applied to the Diagnosis of Moni- 

 liasis of the Digestive Tract. I. G. Martinez. (Am. Jour. Trop. 

 Dis. and Prevent. Med., 1916, 7, 390-391.) 



An extract of 10 cc. normal saline extract of three agar tubes of dif- 

 ferent strains of monilias was made from seventy-two hours growth on 

 Sabourand's glucose agar. These were shaken for two hours, 0.5 per 

 cent carbolic acid added, and the extract heated for one hour at 56°C. 

 This antigen was titrated according to the usual method, and 0.4 cc. 

 found to constitute one unit. 



In use, following the original Wassermann technic for complement 

 deviation reaction, two cases of sprue and one suspected case gave a 

 positive reaction. All other reactions with other sera were negative. 

 — F. M. J. 



Variations in the Pneumococcus Induced hy Growth in Immune Serum. 

 L. M. Stryker. (Jour. Exp. Med., 1916, 24, 49-68.) 

 Various strains of highly virulent pneumococci of Types I and II 

 were grown and subcultui'ed for successive generations in media con- 

 taining homologous immune serums. The author found that the serum 

 treated pneumococci became less specifically agglutinable, they could 

 no longer absorb the agglutinins for normal strains, and, when injected 

 into the animal body, failed to produce agglutinating sera for normal 

 strains. Further, the virulence of the various treated strains was de- 

 creased, which may be due to the absence of capsules on such strains and 



