VIII 



The constants n, Cj, and c probably have a special 

 signification, (species, individuality, character of anti- 

 body etc.), but an examination of these factors requi- 

 res a great and extensive material with uniform values. 



As regards the decrease of antibody in the organism 

 it seems most natural to ascribe it to a process of trans- 

 formation. We know that the decrease of antitoxin can- 

 not be due to an excretion through the secretions (milk, 

 urine, saliva, sweat), the antitoxin curves of these being 

 parallel to that of the blood 1 ). 



The regularity expressed by the formula mentioned, 

 indicates that a real chemical change of the antibody 

 takes place. 



In this respect it deserves to be noticed that the 

 above mentioned equation 



_ _ - 



dt x^ 1 



includes the equation for respectively monomolecular 

 and bimolecular reaction, when we take n=0, resp. n = l. 



i) Salomonsen et Madsen : Recherches sur la marche de 1'immunisation active centre 

 la diphterie. Ann. de 1'Inst. Pasteur 1899. 



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