Action on the Tubercle Bacillus ~by Human Blood, etc. 159 



A quantum of sterilised staphylococcus culture corresponding to 

 2,500,000,000 of staphylococci was inoculated. 



Three days afterwards his phagocytic index stood at 0'88. 



A further quantum of 2,000,000,000 staphylococci was inoculated. 



On the fifth and again on the eleventh day after inoculation the 

 patient's phagocytic index stood respectively at 1-9 and 1-95. 



Improvement in the patient's boils was already apparent at the date 

 of the second inoculation. After this they completely aborted. 



The patient afterwards relapsed, but did not come up for further 

 observation. 



" On the Action exerted upon the Tubercle Bacillus by Human 

 Blood Fluids, and on the Elaboration of Protective Elements 

 in the Human Organism in Kesponse to Inoculations of a 

 Tubercle Vaccine." By A. E. WRIGHT, M.D., late Professor 

 of Pathology, Army Medical School, Netley, Pathologist to 

 St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, and STEWART E. DOUGLAS, 

 M.E.C.S., Captain, Indian Medical Service. Communicated 

 by Sir J. BURDON SANDERSON, Bart., F.R.S. Received 

 July 26, 1904. 



(From the Pathological Laboratory of St. Mary's Hospital, London, W.) 



We propose to consider in this communication (1) the action exerted 

 upon the tubercle bacillus by normal human blood fluids and the 

 tuberculotropic* substances which come here into consideration ; (2) the 

 action exerted upon the tubercle bacillus by the blood fluids of those 

 who are the subject of tubercular infection ; (3) the distribution of 

 tuberculotropic substances in the infected organism ; (4) the question 

 as to whether these protective substances are present in the blood of 

 the infant at birth ; and (5) some points in connection with the elabora- 

 tion in the human organism of tuberculotropic substances in response 

 to inoculations of a tubercle vaccine. 



I. On the Tuberculotropic Elements of Human Blood and on the Content 

 of the Nor-mal Blood in these Elements. 



Agglutinins. The technical difficulties created by the circumstance 

 that the tubercle bacillus grows in artificial culture in agglomerated 

 masses stood for a long time in the way of the demonstration of the 

 presence of agglutinins in the serum. These difficulties were for the 



* The term tuberculo-tropic is, in accordance with, the scheme of terminology 

 introduced by Ehrlich, employed by us to connote the property of turning towards 

 and entering into chemical combination with the tubercle bacillus. 



