( 342 ) 



also presented the self-same effect against the so-called pseudo- or 

 para-dysenteria bacilli (type Flexner, Kruse). Asserting the specific 

 activity of the amboceptor, he decides on "l'unité specifiqne" of 

 the djsenteria bacilli. This conclusion appears to me, looking at the 

 above, very venturesome. 



At the same time it is evident, that we must not attach too much 

 importance to the presence of an amboceptor in a serum for the 

 effect of that serum. It is not to be accepted, that the anti-streptococ- 

 cus serum w^ill have a favourable effect on patients suffering from 

 pneumonia, typhus, anthrax etc. although a certain effect is to be 

 observed in vitro against the respective causes of these diseases. I 

 purposely treated this for anthrax bacilli. Different guinea-pigs of 

 nearly the same weight received partly a small quantity of anti- 

 streptococcus serum (2 — 3 c.C), which contained some anthrax bacilli 

 (one eye of a deluted twelve hours, old culture on bouillon-agar), 

 partly normal horse-serum (2 — 3 c.C.) with an equal dose of anthrax 

 bacilli. A favourable effect of the anti-streptococcus serum compared 

 to normal serum was never perceptible. The animals died generally 

 about the same time, within 48 hours. 



Yet Predtetschensky ^), who has made such investigations with 

 rabbits, is of opinion that a favourable effect can be perceived from 

 anti-diphtheria as well as from anti-streptococcus serum, but the colossal 

 quantities of serum, which he used, justify the supposition, that here 

 is only question of the favourable effect, which, as is known, is already 

 produced in several cases by the injection of normal horse-serum. 



It is therefore not permissible, to ascribe a favourable effect to a 

 serum by force of the presence of an amboceptor, still less, to base 

 on this a quantitative method for the determination of the force of 

 such a serum, such as KoLiiE and Wassermann") do with regard to a 

 meningococcus serum prepared by them. In the meningococcus serum 

 of JocHMANN (E. Merck) the presence of an amboceptor could not 

 only be clearly discerned against meningococci, but also, naturally 

 in a smaller degree, against some streptococci. 



The question, if such a diminishing of the specific activity in 

 relation to a prolonged administering of antigens is known for other 

 substances in immune-sera too, must be answered in the affirmative. 

 This is especially the case with regard to the precipitins. It is well known 

 that it is not possible to obtain them absolutely specific. Thus Nuttall ') 

 was able to get a precipitation with the blood-serum of all kinds 



1) Gentralblatt fur Bakt., le Ablh., Ref., Bd. 38, S. 395. 



2) Deutsche Med. Wochenschrift, 1906, n» 16, S. 609. 



3) Blood immunity and blood relationship, Cambridge, 1904, p. 74, 135, 409. 



