686 ABSTRACTS 



but not with antigens of Group I. Strains of Group I-A gave irregu- 

 lar results. The results suggest that a polyvalent vaccine should be 

 used in typhoid prophylaxis. — W. J. M. 



Characteristics of the Precipitation Reaction. Richard Weil. Proc. 



Soc. Exp. Biol, and Med., 1916, 13, 200. 



Chemically pure antigen unites with precipitin in proportions which 

 are definite and constant, so that the Danyz-Dungern phenomenon 

 cannot be demonstrated in the precipitation reaction when performed 

 with pure reagents. The reaction is probably a quantitative chemical 

 reaction and not comparable to the adsorption phenomena of mutually 

 precipitating colloids. — W. J. M. 



Immunity in Syphilis. H. Zinsser. Jour. Lab. and Clin. Med., 1916, 



1, 785-802. 



From clinical and experimental observations it does not seem prob- 

 able that an infection of syphilis confers true immunity. Although 

 the syphilitic subject acquires a definite resistance to reinoculation, 

 which is most pronounced in the secondary stages of the disease, this 

 resistance decreases during the tertiary stage and probably disappears 

 entirely upon cure, so that recovery from syphilis leaves the patient as 

 susceptible to infection as a normal individual. Recovery from the 

 disease does not occur spontaneously and any apparent immunity to 

 reinfection is an evidence of persistence of the disease in a latent 

 form.— M. W. C. 



Endothelial Opsonins. W. H. Manwaring and Harry C. Coe. 



Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol, and Med., 1916, 13, 171. 



When the blood-free liver of an immunized rabbit is perfused with a 

 suspension of pneumococci in Ringer's solution, the bacteria are rap- 

 idly removed from the fluid and adhere to the capillary endothelium. 

 Immune serum added to the suspension of bacteria gives rise to the 

 same result when the suspension is perfused through normal livers. 

 Suitable controls give negative results. The serum component resists 

 a temperature of 60°C. for 30 minutes. 



Extrahepatic capillaries fail to show similar phagocytic properties 

 but the spleen and bone marrow have not been tested as yet. — W. J. M. 



Specific Receptors of Fixed Tissues. W. H. Manwaring and Yoshio 

 KusAMA. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol., and Med., 1916, 13, 172. 

 Ringer's solution containing 1 per cent goat serum, repeatedly per- 

 fused through blood-free liver of normal, anaphylactic or immune 

 rabbits shows no diminution in amount of serum, that can be detected 

 by titration with specific precipitating serum. Analogous results are 

 obtained if normal anaphylactic or immune rabbit blood is added to the 

 perfusion fluid. The results furnish no evidence of the existence of 

 specific receptor apparatus in rabbit livers. — W. J. M. 



