154 HAEMOLYSIS COMPLEMENT 



to them again, as they are of great importance. Their interpreta- 

 tion is, however, still uncertain, and they cannot outweigh the 

 very precise demonstrations of numerous complements by Ehrlich 

 and his school. According to them the receptor, which, when 

 broken off, constitutes amboceptor, may have more than one com- 

 plementophile group, each adapted to seize and utilize different 

 complements. We must suppose that it can discharge its function 

 if it is supplied with one of these complements ; this is called the 

 dominant. It may also seize other complements, so that all its 

 affinities are supplied, and this is what takes place in Bordet's 



FIG. 34. PLURICEPTORS ATTACHED TO A CORPUSCLE, AND SHOWING THE 

 DOMINANT (a) AND NON-DOMINANT (b) COMPLEMENTS. 



FIG. 35. SOME OF THE CONSTITUENTS OF NORMAL GOAT SERUM. 



a Complement which dissolves sensitized sheep-corpuscles; b = that which 

 dissolves rabbit's corpuscles ; c = the normally occurring amboceptor for 

 rabbit's corpuscles. The next two diagrams shows how this is shown to 

 be a biceptor. 



and Gengou's phenomenon ; these complements, which are not 

 essential to the lytic action, are called non-dominant or subordinate 

 complements. 



Ehrlich and Sachs give an example of this. The amboceptor 

 of normal goats for rabbit's cells and that obtained by injecting 

 goats with ox corpuscles are, of course, both sensitized with 

 normal goat serum. Now if we take rabbit's corpuscles and add 

 them to fresh serum (amboceptor-complement), it is found that 

 both the complements which might theoretically be present are 

 removed, and the fluid will no longer reactivate heated immune 

 serum for ox corpuscles. But if the action is allowed to go on for 

 a short time only, and the corpuscles are then centrif ugalized down 

 and removed, it is found that only the non-dominant complement 



