PROTEIN SENSITIZATION OR ANAPHYLAXIS 261 



salt solution. This mixture renders sensitized animals 

 refractory, and Besredka finally concludes that the vacci- 

 nating constituent of milk is lactoprotein, which is not 

 destroyed by heating to 130 nor removed from solution 

 by coagulation with the Bulgarian ferment. Against this 

 conclusion we must call attention to the following facts 

 demonstrated by Besredka himself: (1) Milk or serum 

 introduced into the stomach, rectum, or peritoneal cavity 

 of sensitized animals, renders them refractory to a cerebral 

 reinjection. (2) Small, non-fatal, doses of milk or serum 

 given subcutaneously or in any other way has a like effect. 

 Why, therefore, is it not reasonable to say that the vacci- 

 nating property of the whey or of the precipitate obtained 

 from it is not due to the small amount of casein which it 

 undeniably contains? Especially is this query pertinent, 

 since as Besredka states, certain food authorities hold 

 that casein is the only protein in milk. We must conclude 

 that while Besredka's work along this line is most interest- 

 ing and valuable, he has failed to prove the existence of a 

 vaccinating component in milk. 



Besredka's work on the refractory state, which he calls 

 anti-anaphylaxis, is of practical value in pointing out a 

 possible way by which sensitized individuals may be saved 

 from anaphylactic shock in the therapeutic administration 

 of sera. We will return to this point later (see Chapter XV). 



We wish now to inquire whether there is any con- 

 dition that may properly be designated as anti-anaphyl- 

 axis. In discussing passive anaphylaxis we have seen that 

 serum taken from animals while in the refractory state, 

 whether it be before the complete development of sensiti- 

 zation or after recovery from a non-fatal reinjection, and 

 transferred to normal animals renders the recipient sus- 

 ceptible. It hardly seems proper to say that an animal 

 has been desensitized when its blood-serum has this effect. 

 If the blood-serum of refractory animals rendered sensitized 

 animals refractory, the term anti-anaphylaxis might be 

 proper, but this is in no case true. The refractory animal 

 is still sensitized, but the degree of sensitization has been 



