been assu.iied the process is unopposed. The collapse of the 

 defensive mechanism against bacteria in terminal infections 

 seems to be thorou["h and complete. Zinsser (15) expressed this 

 idea in a discussion of fatal infections when he wrote: "The 

 infectious process becomes rapidly generalized, the bacteria 

 enter the blood stream and lymphatics, and the defensive powers 

 are overwhelmed ." The possibility of a distince part of this 

 protective adaptation of the body remaining intact with unim- 

 paired function. has not been believed and awaits confirmation. 

 It is proposed, therefore, in this research to undertake an 

 investigation of the phagocytic activity in animals after 

 kataphylaxis* has occurred, and to determine what change, if 

 any, occurs in the opsonic index for those organisms which 

 most frequently overrun the bod3r late in fatal infections and 

 intoxications . 



*The word kataphylaxis was introduced by Bullock and 

 Cramer (Proc. of the Royal Society, Series B, vol. 90, p. 515) 

 and was defined by them as a rupture in the local defensive 

 mechanism against bacteria. As used in the present paper the 

 word will be understood to indicate a break-down in the gen- 

 eral defensive mechanism sufficiently complete to permit the 

 infection to lead uninterruptedly to the death of the animal. 



(4) 



