358 EDEMA 



dates, of course, the causative agents as well as the products of cell 

 desti'uction render tlie fluids ])()is()nous. 



Enzymes and Immune Bodies. — All the enzj'mes of the plasma 

 nuiy appear in edematous fluids, being- in all cases probably more 

 abundant in exudates than in transudates. According to Carriere,'^ 

 oxidases are inconstant, even in exudates. Lipase is said to be much 

 more abundant in exudates than in transudates."'' (Concerning pro- 

 teolytic enzymes see "Autolysis of Exudates," Chap, iii.) The 

 various immune bodies, cytotoxins, hemolysins, bacteriolysins, ag- 

 glutinins, etc., seem to pass freely into both transudates and exudates, 

 and their presence is not characteristic of either,-" but as a rule the 

 proportion is much higher in exudates. ^^ Peptid-splitting enzymes 

 are usually found in such fluids,'*- especially tuberculous exudates,^-'^ 

 and these enzymes seem to be difi:'erent from both erepsin and trypsin. 

 Probably this type of enzyme is more often present than trypsin. 

 Antitryptic activity is usually high, unless exhausted by the presence 

 of much, trypsin from cell-rich exudates. Purulent fluids are usually 

 poor in ojosonins ; ®^ in non-purulent fluids the opsonin content varies 

 with the amount of proteins."*^ Turpentine exudates may sometimes 

 be more strongly bactericidal than the serum of the same animal.*^ 

 Exudates usually contain about as much complement as the serum, 

 but in suppuration the complement disappears ; transudates contain 

 little of either complement or hemolysins. ^^''^ 



Precipitin Reactions, etc. — Edematous fluids have been often 

 used as a source of material in immunizing animals against human 

 proteins. The precipitins thus formed are specific for human serum 

 or for the proteins of the effusion, but cannot be used to differentiate 

 a transudate from an exudate, or a hydrothorax fluid from an ascites 

 fluid (Quadrone ).'*'' Immune bodies, complement, agglutinins, and 

 antitoxins are present in effusions ; ^° e. g., the common use of blister 

 fluid for the Widal test. Furthermore, according to Hamburger,*® 

 edema fluid is distinctly more bactericidal than normal lymph. 



78Compt. Kend. Soo. Biol., ISflO (51), oOl. 



TO Zeri, 11 roliclinico, 1J10.3 (10), No. 11; :\lemmi, ("lin. :\lt'd. Ital., ino.'>. No. 3: 

 Galletta, Clin, iiiwl. Ital., 1011 (50), 14.3. 



80 Granstriiiii, Tnaug. Dissort., St. Petersburg, lOO.i. 



81 Not corroborated by Liidke, Cent. f. Bakt., 1907 (44). 2()S. 



82 Hall and Willianiscm. .lour. Path, and Bact., inil (15), .'551. 

 82a See H. Koeh, Zeit. Kinderhoilk.. 1014 (10), 1. 



83 0pie. .lour. E.xper. Med.. 1!M)7 (0), 515. 



84 Brill me, Deut. Areli. klin. Med.. 1000 (96), 105. 

 ssRastaedt, Zeit. Tnimunitiit., 1012 (13), 421. 

 85a Aronstanim. Cent. f. Bakt.. 1014 (74), 32(1. 



80 Cent. f. Bakt. (Ref.), 1905 (36), 270. 

 88 Virohow's Arch., 1S09 (15(1). 320. 



