488 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



"by leucocytes freed from " substances sensibilatrices " (immune body, 

 amboceptor). 



The leucocytes were obtained by injecting bouillon into the peritoneal 

 cavity of guinea-pigs, and in 5-8 hours the fluid removed, which was 

 rich in polymorphs, was centrifuged and repeatedly washed with saline 

 solution. 



Hanging drop preparations were examined, and stained films at 

 different periods made. A virulent anthrax culture suspended with 

 leucocytes showed that ingestion started immediately at room tempera- 

 ture. Films showed very early traces of phagocytosis, and in 1-2 hours 

 nearly all were ingested. Often several leucocytes united to ingest one 

 large filament. Similar results were obtained with human leucocytes 

 obtained by Wright's method. Attenuated staphylococci gave similar 

 results, and also less virulent forms of streptococci. Two strains of coli 

 were used in vitro, and controlled by injections in vivo into a guinea- 

 pig's peritoneal cavity, the fluid being withdrawn in 4 hours. Coli J 

 was rapidly ingested in vitro, and the peritoneal fluid showed numerous 

 leucocytes stuffed with bacilli and granules, which latter also were found 

 free, and subcultures could not be obtained. Coli C was not ingested in 

 vitro, and only a few of the peritoneal leucocytes contained some bacilli 

 and granules ; there were only a few free granules, and abundant 

 subcultures were obtained. In hanging drop neither the shape nor 

 motility of coli was altered, but they were seized alive, often exhibiting 

 a certain amount of motility inside the phagocyte. Degeneration inta 

 round granules occurred apparently in vacuoles, appearing a few minutes 

 after ingestion, although no change occurred outside the cells in 

 30 minutes. Vibrio cholera likewise showed no extracellular change for 

 f hour, when some of them were altered and showed granules, but the 

 leucocytes were then showing signs of degeneration (cf. Wright and 

 Douglas that granulation is due to the sera). Stained films showed 

 alteration after ingestion, and some filaments appeared partly ingested 

 with different staining appearances of the intra- and extra-cellular 

 portion. 



Some further experiments are described with a view to determine the 

 "bacteriolytic action of the phagocytes, and tend to show that, whilst 

 growth of bacteria is inhibited after treating with washed leucocytes, it 

 is unaffected by leucocytes heated to 55° C. Anthrax was also 

 found to be unaffected after treatment with guinea-pig's serum, but was 

 inhibited by peritoneal fluid of a guinea-pig. The author shortly dis- 

 cusses the view that the leucocyte contains both an amboceptor and a 

 cytase, and summarises his work as follows. Guinea-pigs' leucocytes, 

 washed frequently to remove any " substances sensibilatrices " contained 

 in the plasma, or any other substance capable of aiding phagocytosis, 

 incorporate and digest in vitro pathogenic microbes (anthrax, cholera, 

 some varieties of streptococcus, and B. coli) ; thus showing that phago- 

 cytosis is a cell phenomenon which may occur without the intervention 

 of active bodies contained in the plasma. Some microbes, however, such 

 as certain varieties of streptococcus and B. coli, are not easily phagocyted 

 cither in vivo or in vitro. 



