382 - Dr. W. Bulloch and Mr. E. E. Atkin. [Jan. 10, 



Cocci per 

 leucocyte. 



1. Rabbit's serum + staphylococci + rabbit's leucocytes = 10*3 

 . 2. + i, + human 13 



8. Human serum + + rabbit's = 19 '5 



4. a + + human = 17 '6 



The preponderating effect exerted by the serum as distinguished 

 from the polynuclear leucocytes is again brought out strikingly in the 

 following experiment. In this case the serum mixed with corpuscles of 

 a normal individual (W. B.) is compared with the sera and the corpuscles 

 of three advanced cases of facial lupus, the first of these cases (No. 2 

 and No. 5) being a wretchedly under-nourished girl of ten with very 

 extensive facial lupus and large ulcerated tubercular sores on the hands. 

 The test material in this experiment was an emulsion of tubercle 

 bacilli, and the number of T. B. in 100 leucocytes was counted, and the 

 average struck as usual. 



T. B. per 

 leucocyte. 



1. Serum of normal individual + T. B. emulsion + leucocytes of normal = 5*7 



individual 



2. + + leucocytes of a lupus = 5'4 



patient 



3. + + = 5'2 



+ =5'3 



5. Serum of a lupus patient 



6. 

 7. 



+ leucocytes of a nor- = 2*5 



mal individual 

 + =2-4 



=3'2 



57 55 



Expressing these relations as the opsonic index, we have 



No. 1 = 1-0 = (normal serum + normal leucocytes). 



2 = 0'94 = ( + leucocytes from lupus patient). 



3 = 0-90 = ( A- \ 



4 = 0-93 = ( + ) 



5 = 0-43 = (lupus serum + normal leucocytes). 



6 = 0-43 = ( + ). 



( + ) 



). "i 



). L 



J 



On the Constitution of the Opsonic Body in the Serum. The bacterial 

 bodies already known to exist in the serum are referable to one of three 

 classes, viz., antitoxins, agglutinins, lysins. The last of these are the 

 most complex, as the lytic action occurs only after the coalition of two 

 distinct elements, the complement which for the most part is thermo- 

 labile, and the immune body, which is thermostable. The agglutinins 

 are of simpler constitution, although here special conditions of the 

 agglutinating substance (the serum) and tlie agglutinable substance 

 (the bacteria) must exist before agglutination is manifest. Temperatures 

 above 70 C. applied either to the serum or to the bacteria suffice to 



