TECHNIQUE OF THE COMPLEMENT FIXATION METHOD 

 TABLE GIVING EXAMPLE OF TEST. 



o. i c.cm. of a posi- 

 tive serum. 



0.5 c.cm. 



o. 5 c.cm. 0.5 c.cm. 



o. i c.cm. of a nega- o. 5 c.cm. 

 tive serum. 



0.5 c.cm. 0.5 c.crn. ! Complete. 



only recently. A negative reaction does not exclude gonococcus infection. 

 If the disease is limited to the anterior urethra, a positive reaction is not 

 obtained; probably the absorption of toxins is insufficient to stimulate 

 the production of antibodies. The positive reaction does not entirely 

 disappear until seven or eight weeks after the patient is apparently cured. 

 If it still persists, one must be suspicious of an active focus somewhere. 



The complement fixation test should be of special usefulness in chronic 

 cases where the bacteriological isolation of the gonococci is difficult, in 

 gynecological conditions and in differential diagnosis of joint affections 

 (Schwartz-McNeil, American Journal of Med. Sciences, May, 1911, Sept., 

 1912, Dec., 1912). 



That the complement fixation test can also be performed 



Typhoid in typhoid fever was first proven by Bordet and Gengou. 



Fever. They used as antigen a suspension of typhoid bacilli in normal 



saline, and the serum from a convalescent patient. Since 

 then (1901) numerous contributions referring to this subject have been 

 published, but the merit of the test is variously interpreted. (Widal 

 and Lesourd, Ludke, Leuchs, Schone, etc.) The editor believes that 

 to a great degree the variability in the results can be accounted for 

 by the different antigens employed. Similar to the findings with the 

 gonococcus complement fixation test by Schwartz and McNeil, Garbat 

 has proven that a highly poly valent typhoid antigen (made from numerous 



