CHAPTER VIII 
SEROLOGY: OF: VIRUSES 
IT is manifestly impossible to deal adequately with a large and highly 
technical subject like the serology of viruses in one chapter, and no 
attempt is made to do so. The most that can be hoped for is to indicate 
the broad outlines and applications of the technique and some of the 
results which have been obtained. For a general account of serology, 
the reader is referred to Boyd (1946), Topley and Wilson (1937), 
and Marrack (1938). P 
More specific discussions on the serology of viruses will be found 
in van Rooyen and Rhodes (1948) and Burnet, Keogh, and Lush (1937). 
Immunity 
There is more than one kind of immunity: the first is the innate or 
constitutional; the second is known as acquired immunity and is of 
two kinds, active and passive. Active immunity results either from 
recovery from infection or from artificial inoculation. Passive 
immunity is transmitted to an animal either naturally from the 
mother, or artificially by the injection of serum from an immune 
animal. Boyd arranges the different kinds of immunity as follows— 
I. Innate immunity (constitutional or racial). 
If. Acquired immunity. 
(1) Active: 
(a) Natural. 
(b) Artificial. 
(2) Passive: 
(a) Natural (congenital). 
(6) Artificial. 
When animals are exposed to infection, there are produced in the 
blood and tissue fluids soluble substances which tend to prevent or 
cure infection. These are known as antibodies (because they are bodies 
acting against introduced substances). The substances which call 
forth the production of antibodies by the animal are called antigens 
6—(T.502) 20 pp. qi 
