THE PHENOMENA OF ADSORPTION. 447 



that in this experiment with bovine corpuscles certain unexpected 

 reactions, such as certain anticomplement effects, may take place 

 between the bovine serum and the horse serum. This objection, 

 however, can scarcely be maintained, inasmuch as the horse serum 

 may be replaced by any other alexic serum without any change in the 

 result. The experiment, indeed, becomes simpler if, as Bordet and 

 Gay have done, we add simply fresh bovine serum to sensitized 

 bovine corpuscles. Hemolysis appears, which is not surprising, 

 but it is preceded and this is the particular point to be noted by 

 an extremely energetic agglutination which characterizes the union 

 of the colloidal substance. This phenomenon, moreover, is another 

 indication of the phenomenon that has been previously noted. In 

 the last-mentioned experiment bovine serum acts in two ways: 

 both as a complement and as a colloid.* 



May the somewhat vague name of colloidal substance be still 

 employed to designate this active substance in bovine serum? 

 Bordet and Gay made use of it only provisionally. As we know, this 

 colloid is absorbed by various corpuscles provided they be sensitized 

 and alexinized, and the union is indicated by a very evident phenom- 

 enon of agglutination in large masses. This colloidal substance 

 should not be confounded with the ordinary agglutinins and yet 

 should be designated with some name that suggests the fact that it 

 produces agglutination. For this reason we propose, from now on, 

 to give the name of " conglutinin " to this substance in bovine 

 serum, and to refer to the agglutination which it produces as 

 " conglutination." 



SECTION I 

 SACHS AND BAUER'S OBJECTIONS. 



Bordet and Gay naturally brought forward numerous proofs, which 

 we cannot reproduce here, to support their interpretation. These 

 proofs will be found in the previous article of 1906. We wish at 

 this time to offer certain new arguments, which, in addition to the 

 previous ones, permit us to refute the objections that have been 



* Muir and Browning, Journal of Hygiene, Vol. 6, page 20, noted, indepen- 

 dently of Bordet and Gay, that rabbit-antibovine serum when added to bovine 

 blood produces a marked agglutination of the corpuscles, in producing which the 

 presence of alexin is necessary. 



