28 The Cytotoxins of Blood Serum 



the germs of plague, typhoid, anthrax, rouget du pore, and with Proteus vulgaris. 

 Immune-bodies were found in the serum of typhoid convalescents. 



The occurrence of substances corresponding to immune-bodies in normal sera 

 has been denied, although Malvoz (25, viu. 1902) has found normal adult dog 

 serum to act like immune-serum towards B. antkracis, that is, when inactivated 

 by heat its "immune-body" combined with the bacilli, and rendered them susceptible 

 to the bactericidal action of the complement in the serum of other animals, such an 

 the rabbit, guinea-pig and rat. It is worthy of note in this connection, that the 

 adult dog is most refractory to anthrax infection. The immune-body is absent in 

 young dogs, as also in the guinea-pig, ox, and rat, all of which are susceptible, 

 whereas it may or may not be present in the relatively resistant rabbit. 



The rapid decomposition of bodies of animals which have died from the effects of 

 snake venom is due to the loss of bactericidal power of the blood, as has been 

 shown by Welch and Ewing, and by Flexner and Noguchi (1902), the venom 

 combining with the serum complement of bacteriolytic serum. Antiveuin (Calmette) 

 neutralized both the bacteriolytic and haetuolytic action of venom in vitro. 



Eisenberg (v. 1902) cites Kraus and Clairmont as finding that heated bacteria are 

 not dissolved, although, as Bail and Wilde found, they are capable of absorbing the 

 bacteriolysin. 



Bacterial Haemolysins. 



The bacterial haemolysins have received a considerable amount of attention. 

 Ehrlich showed that tetanus toxin is haemolytic, Madsen finding that it contained 

 a toxin which produced convulsions, a tetanospasmin, as distinguished from the 

 tetanolysin. Kraus and Clairmont (17, x. 1901) found tetanus toxin, as also the 

 products of Staphylococcut pyogencs, Streptococcus, Vibrios, and putrefactive bacteria, 

 to be haemolytic. Neisser and Wechsberg, as also Bulloch and Hunter, have 

 studied the haemolytic action of Bacillus pyocyaneus and of the Stap/iylococcus ; 

 Levy, Castellani, and Lubenau of B. typhosits, B. dysenteriae, and Micrococctis 

 tetragemw. Madsen found tetanolysin very unstable ; Kraus and Clairmont found 

 the haemolysin to be destroyed after 15 minutes' exposure at 60 C. Neisser and 

 Wechsberg found staphylolysin to be injured at 48, and destroyed at 58 C. in 

 20 minutes. That the bacteriohaemolysins possess a constitution similar to toxins 

 was indicated by Ehrlich and Madsen, who found that they could neutralize them by 

 means of anti -haemolysin. They moreover found that normal horse serum possessed 

 anti-haemolytic action. They were unable to establish any relation between the 

 antitoxic value of a serum and its haemolytic power. The conclusion reached as 

 the result of comparative experiments is that the bacterio-haemolysins and anti- 

 1 lacterio-haemolysins are specific in character. 



The Complement. 



As I have stated elsewhere, cytolytic sera are inactivated by being heated 

 to 55 C., this l>eing due to the destruction of the complement. A normal serum 

 thus treated cannot be reactivated, whereas an immune-serum can. The ferment- 



