ABSTRACTS 573 



crease in the normal antagonistic action, they were able to show that 

 negative sera possessed, in varying degrees, substances which inhibited 

 the binding power of positive sera. Of 119 cases tested, only six failed 

 to show this antagonistic action. All negative sera were inactivated 

 and none were used which contained two units or more of natural sheep 

 hemolysin. Although of no practical appKcation in routine Wasser- 

 rnanns, this factor may be of importance in complement fixation in other 

 diseases. — H. W. L. 



Further Observations on the Schick Test for Diphtheria Immunity. G. 



B. Weaver and B. Rappaport. (Jour. A. M. A., 1916, 66, 1448- 



1450.) 



General discussion of the subject with data upon the presence of the 

 reaction in healthy adults, in cases of post diphtheritic paralysis, in 

 scarlet fever patients, and in tonsilUtis patients. 



The authors employ toxin neutrahzed to excess with antitoxin as a 

 control.— G. H. S. 



The Schick Test, D. M. Griswold. (Jour. Lab. and CHn. Med., 



1916, 1, 441-443.) 



Beside providing a quick and easy method for determining individual 

 susceptibility to diphtheria, the Schick test affords a means of deter- 

 mining the duration of the passive immunity conferred by injections 

 of antitoxin. Of six convalescents tested every second day after they 

 had recovered from diphtheria, the earliest recurrence of a positive 

 Schick was 3 weeks after 20,000 units of antitoxin, the longest period 

 of immunity, six weeks. — M. W. C. 



The Pseudoreaction in the Schick Test and its Control. A. Zingher. 



(Jour. A. M. A., 1916, 66, 1617-1618.) 



The Schick test is due to the action of the soluble diphtheria toxin 

 while the pseudoreaction is an anaphylactic response to the protein of 

 the diphtheria bacillus. 



To control such pseudoreactions an injection of diphtheria toxin 

 heated to 75°C. for five minutes may be given. The soluble toxin is 

 thus destroyed and any reaction following such an injection is due to 

 the protein of the diphtheria bacillus. — G. H. S. 



The Diphtheria Toxin Skin Reaction. H. Koplik and L. J. Unger. 



(Jour. A. M. A., 1916, 66, 1195-1196.) 



A simphfied method of performing the Schick test is described. 



Instead of the diluted toxin, with the necessary sterile accessories, 

 pipettes, sjTinges, etc. the authors employ undiluted toxin and an ordi- 

 nary hypodermic needle. 



The needle is dipped into the toxin and introduced intradermally. 

 The advantages of this method, aside from its simphcity, are that un- 

 diluted toxin will retain its potency, traumatic pseudopositive reac- 



