226 PROTEIN POISONS 



rabbit fetus. Gozony and Wiesinger 1 passively sensitized 

 rabbits with the blood serum to amniotic fluid in two cases 

 of eclampsia. 



Some years ago Obermayer and Pick 2 found that the 

 serum of rabbits treated with proteins radically changed 

 by being iodized, nitrified, or diazoized, did not precipitate 

 the native protein, but did act upon the altered protein 

 with which the animal had been treated, and this occurred 

 without reference to the original sources of the protein. 

 Wells 3 and Pick and Yamanouchi 4 were not able to sensitize 

 animals with iodized protein to an iodized protein obtained 

 from another species. 



Sensitization to egg-white has been studied by Vaughan 

 and Wheeler 5 also by Wells. 6 The former used in most of 

 their experiments egg-white diluted with an equal volume 

 of salt solution. Guinea-pigs sensitized to egg-white from 

 chickens responded to test injections of egg-white from 

 tame ducks, though less energetically and less constantly, 

 and still less to egg-white from robbins. Vaughan and 

 Wheeler by the method already described (p. 98) split 

 egg-white into a non-poisonous, sensitizing portion and a 

 poisonous, non-sensitizing portion. They believe that a 

 similar cleavage occurs as the result of ferment action on 

 the second injection in sensitized animals. This work 

 forms the basis of their theory of anaphylaxis, which will 

 be discussed later. 



All bacterial proteins are anaphylactogens. Indeed, the 

 Koch reaction with tuberculin is an anaphylactic test, but 

 this will be discussed later. Bacterial proteins act as ana- 

 phylactogens, whether living or dead, formed or in solution. 

 On account of the physical state of the protein the reaction 

 is generally less pronounced, and strong than with proteins 

 in solution. Bacterial anaphylaxis has been studied by 



i Orvosi hetilap, liii, 418. 2 Wien. klin. Woch., 1906. 



3 Loc. cit. 



4 Zeitsch. f. Immunitatsforschung, i, 676. 



5 Jour. Infect. Dis., June, 1907. 



6 Loc. cit. 



