158 



IMMUNIZATION 



AGGLUTININ IN THE BLOOD OF A PATIENT IN 

 MALTA FEVER (SiR ALMROTH WRIGHT) 



In the first period the agglutinin sinks to its half- 

 quantity in 13 days, at the end 30 days (41 to 71) 

 are necessary for a diminution to the half- value. In 

 other words, the rate of sinking is 2-3 times more 

 rapid at the beginning than at the end. Of course 

 it is impossible to calculate these figures in the way 

 used before. I have therefore supposed that the 

 agglutinin content sinks to an end-value above 

 zero, namely 100 units, and treated the excess of 

 the observed value over 100 in the usual manner. 

 The agreement with the observations obtained in 

 this manner is really startling. We may therefore 

 say that the content of agglutinin behaves as if 

 it tended to a minimal value of 100 units, which it 

 would retain for any time. But without doubt this 

 value also sinks with the progress of time. Sir 

 ALMROTH WRIGHT has observed a case, in which 



