ON THE SACHS-GEORGI TEST 



as compared with the Wassermann Test. 



A study on 2.000 cases 



by 



13R. Axroxio ií:l:oi3]vio i>e .a^fíê.^ i^kAo. 



(Sub-assistant pro tern.) 



The formation of a i)recipilalc 

 when the serum of a syphilitic indi- 

 vidual is brought into contact with tlu 

 corresponding antigen was known long 

 ago though not used in current practice. 



NEUBAUER and ELIAS, SALOMON, 

 PORGES, MEIER and PORGES and also 

 MICHAELIS oi)scrved the formation of 

 a precipitate when syphilitic serum 

 and organic antigen where mixed with 

 lecithin or sodium glycocholale. 



JACOBSTHAL noticed tlocculation 

 in syphilitic serum, lirought in contact 

 with antigen obtained from the liver of 

 a heredo-syphilitic foetus. On this fact 

 he established a new test for the dia- 

 gnosis of syphilis; yet this phenomenon 

 is not constantly observed, as often sera 

 wliich give an alisolutely positive reaction 

 with the WASSERMANN test, fail to 

 flocculate by the method of JACOBS- 

 THAL. This lack of constancy and the 

 irregularity in the appearance of the 

 precipitate are sufficient to render the 

 method unfit for practical use. 



The HERMANN PERUTZ lest which 

 next appeared, agrees more perfectly 

 with the WASSERMANN test. The an- 

 tigen used in this case is altogether ar- 

 tificial being a chemical substance. The 

 main difficulty, in obtaining it in good 

 condition, is due to the nature of the 

 chemical substances used, viz. choleste- 

 rin and sodium glycocholate. 



MEINICKE observed that both posi- 

 tive and negative sera may flocculate in 

 the presence of a special antigen 

 (though with negative sera a precipitate 

 may be wanting ; but whereas in the 

 case of negative sera the precipita- 

 te dissolves easily and disappears upon 

 adding a saline solution of titrated con- 

 centration, in the case of positive sera 

 the precipitate shows no alteration. In 

 this test the antigen employed is made 

 from bullock-heart in various concentra- 

 tions. 



Of the precipitation tests, rapidly 

 described above, none mav be used a- 



