232 CHEMISTRY OF THE IMMIMTY REACTIONS 



passing through collodion or porcelain filters, and there are many who 

 hold that the reacting substance is a product of tissue disintegration. 

 Wassermann^^ has found evidence that the antibody is derived from 

 the lymphocytes, at least in the spinal fluid of syphilitics. 



Whether true antibodies are concerned in the Wassermann reaction 

 is a question. In favor of this view is the fact that the serum of 

 rabbits immunized with congenital syphilis livers contains an anti- 

 body giving the Wassermann reaction, exactly like the serum of 

 syphilitics.'^^ On the other hand, the actual substance of pure cultures 

 of spirochetes does not ordinarily act as antigen with syphilitic sera 

 in the Wassermann reaction (Noguchi). It is highly probable that 

 wdien syphilitic liver extracts are used as antigen in the Wassermann 

 reaction, we have a true Bordet-Gengou reaction of complement fixa- 

 tion with the syphiUtic substance present in this extract, in addition 

 to the reaction which is accomplished by the lipoids. 



Whether the complement is destroyed by enzymes, '^'^ or is inhibited 

 by anti-complement present in syphilitic serum, or is destroyed by 

 some toxic substance in the serum^^ are matters still under discussion. 

 A favorite interpretation of the Wassermann reaction, which seems to 

 harmonize with the known facts, is that there is a precipitation of 

 serum globulin by the lipoidal colloids of the antigen, and adsorption of 

 the complement by this precipitate. 



Apparently the globulins of the serum in syphilis are altered in 

 some specific but as yet unknown way, whereby they acquire in greatly 

 increased degree the capacity to form this adsorbent precipitate."- 

 Alterations in the lipoids also seem to exist, for it is known that con- 

 ditions that modify the serum lipoids also modify the reaction. There 

 seems little doubt that the reaction is not chemical but physical, and 

 the union of complement to antibody follows essentially the laws of 

 adsorption. Also its intimate relation to the precipitin reaction seems 

 to be established (Dean)."^ 



The changes in cliaracter of the blood serum in sypliilis are sufficient to give 

 not only immunological but also frank chemical or physico-chemical manifesta- 

 tions. For example, Bruck'^ states that the precipitate obtained when nitric 

 acid is added to syphilitic serum is more abundant and of a characteristic gelatin- 

 ous appearance. "Platinum cloride also produces a heavier precii>itate in syphilitic 

 sera (Brown and Iyengar).''' The globulin responsible for the Wassermann 

 reaction is said to precipitate more readily l)y ammonium sulphate and other re- 



"* Wa.ssermann and Lange, Berl. klin. W'och.. 1914 (51), 527. 



"" Citron and -Munk, Deut. med. Woch., 1910 (30). 15(30; Eiken, Zeit. Imnuini- 

 tiit., 1915 (24). ISS. 



■» Manwaring. Zeit. f. Immunitiil., MtOi) CM, .^09. 



" Kiss. (7>iV/., 1910(4). 70:i. 



"See Nathan, Zeit. Iminunitat., 191S (27>, 219; Walker, ,Iour. Path, Bact., 1917 

 (21), 184. 



"Lancet. .Jan. 13, 1917. 



'< Miinch. med. Wocli., 1917 (04), 25. See al.<o Smitii and Solomon, Boston 

 Med. Surg. Jour.. 1917 (177), .321, 



"'• Indian. Jour, Med. Hes., 1915 (3), 95. 



