Ci/toh/sin and Agglutinin 43 



The relation of Cytolysins to Agglutinins. 



The evidence in favour of the haemolysins and agglutinins being 

 distinct seems fairly conclusive. It is true that Emmerich, Loew, and 

 Baumgarten consider that agglutination always precedes haemolysis. 

 Baumgarten's view receives some support from the observation of 

 Shibayama, who states that very powerful antisera may haemolyse 

 without agglutinating, Baumgarten claiming that rapid haemolysis may 

 mask the phenomenon of agglutination. 



Most observers agree with Ehrlich and Morgenroth in considering 

 the antibodies distinct. These authors, as also Bordet and others, have 

 found the haemolytic action to be prevented by heating haemolytic 

 serum to 55 C., the agglutinins remaining unaffected. Mertens, as we 

 have seen (p. 27), has shown the non-identity of agglutinin and immune- 

 body. In the following pages evidence is given as to the non-identity 

 of agglutinins and precipitins. Jacoby determined that ricin-toxin and 

 agglutinin are different. We see that there is every evidence as to 

 a multitude and diversity of antibodies in sera. Further, whereas 

 lysins pass through a collodium film by osmosis, Gengou claims that 

 agglutinins do not. The bacteriolysins in a serum may be increased 

 by sodium carbonate injection, but this does not affect the amount 

 of agglutinin present. It has been repeatedly noted that no definite 

 relation exists between the agglutinative and bacteriolytic power of 

 typhoid sera. 



The studies of Mitchell and Stewart (1897) have shown that the 

 phenomenon of agglutination precedes haemolysis by snake venoms, 

 this being comparable to what we see in Pfeiffer's reaction, where the 

 agglutination of cholera spirilla precedes lysis by the immune serum. 

 In snake venom, Flexner and Noguchi (1902) have also found that they 

 are able to separate the lysin from the agglutinin. Agglutination by 

 venom did not affect haemolysis, but rapid haemolysis limited or 

 prevented agglutination. On adding ricin, which agglutinates blood 

 corpuscles powerfully, and allowing it to act for less than 30 minutes 

 on the corpuscles, it was found that a further addition of venom effected 

 haemolysis within the usual time. On the other hand, when ricin had 

 acted for two or more hours, solution took place on the addition of 

 venom, but the corpuscular stroma remained at the bottom of the tube 

 in the form of a white conglutinated mass. It appears therefore that 

 the stroma undergoes a form of coagulation under the influence of 

 agglutinins, the venom releasing the haemoglobin. No interaction 



