PROTEIN SENSITIZATION OR ANAPHYLAXIS 303 



This work of Friedberger, in our opinion, confirms another 

 claim which we put forth some years ago. There are two 

 kinds of parenteral proteolytic enzymes in the body, or 

 capable of being developed in the body. One of these is 

 non-specific and the other specific. The former is found 

 in the normal blood serum, and the latter is developed by 

 protein sensitization. The normal serum of this guinea- 

 pig under proper conditions splits up most diverse proteins 

 with the liberation of the poisonous group. The blood- 

 serum and organ extracts of the sensitized animal contain 

 specific ferments which cleave the special protein to which 

 the animal has been sensitized. The non-specific protein 

 takes care of the small amounts of foreign protein which are 

 constantly finding their way into the blood without having 

 undergone digestion. Ordinarily, these enter the blood 

 in such small amounts that they are rapidly and fully 

 digested beyond the poisonous stage by these non-specific 

 proteolytic ferments. Among its other functions the blood 

 is a digestive fluid, and it exercises this function not only 

 on the unbroken proteins which find their way into it from 

 the outer world, but also upon certain substances which are 

 constantly coming into it as a result of tissue metabolism. 



Another important research from Friedberger's laboratory 

 is reported by him and Girgolaff. 1 Rabbits and guinea-pigs 

 were treated with homologous proteins, bacteria, and sera, 

 and after the animal had developed the specific ferment 

 (antibody) it was bled to death by opening the aorta and 

 transfused with salt solution until all the blood was washed 

 out. Then a portion of some organ from this animal was 

 implanted in the abdominal cavity of another, and after 

 recovery from the operation this animal was found to be 

 sensitized. A few illustrations will best explain this work. A 

 guinea-pig of 200 grams received 1 c.c. of lambs' serum intra- 

 venously. Fourteen days later this animal was exsanguinated 

 and washed out with salt solution. Then two pieces of its 

 spleen about half of this organ were implanted in the 



1 Zeitsch. f. Immunitatsforschung, 1911, ix, 575 



