74 COLLECTED STUDIES IN IMMUNITY. 



acting nitril group. In this schematic example the diazo group which 

 fits directly into the protoplasm would correspond to the haptophore 

 group of the immune body which fits into the receptor of the blood- 

 cells; the aldehyd remnant would correspond to the complemento- 

 phile group of the immune body. The complement, which as we 

 know possesses toxic properties, would then be compared to the hydro- 

 cyanic acid. 1 



The facts described by us have been confirmed from various sides 

 (v. Dungern, Buchner, Bordet) by experiments on blood-cells. Bor- 

 det 2 and also Nolf 3 showed that the stromata of the blood-cells, which 

 represent the protoplasma, effect the anchoring of the immune body, 

 while the haemoglobin, which is to be regarded as paraplasma, takes 

 no part whatever in this binding. This fact corresponds entirely 

 to the views expressed by Ehrlich in an earlier study on blood-cell 

 poisons. 4 Furthermore, it has been shown by von Dungern 5 that the 

 power of the blood-cells to excite a specific hamolysin by immuniza- 

 tion can be entirely inhibited by completely loading the receptors 

 of the blood-cells with the immune body in question. These addi- 

 tional facts were well fitted to still further support the chemical con- 

 ception of these processes. 



Now, however, Bordet has described an experiment which he 

 believes shows that the fixation of the immune body is not a chemical 

 process in the strict sense, but that this phenomenon is to be 

 classed rather with surface attraction and similar actions, and that 

 it is completely analogous to staining processes. These views are also 

 shared by Nolf 6 and Nicolle. 7 



Bordet's experiment in the main is as follows: By treating a 

 guinea-pig with rabbit blood a haemolytic serum is obtained specific 

 for rabbit blood-cells. A certain amount of the serum dissolves an 

 absolutely definite amount of rabbit blood-cells if all the cells are 

 added to the serum at once. If , however, to the same amount of serum 



1 One could designate substances which, like the immune bodies, are supplied 

 with two different combining groups as amboceptors. This name would indicate 

 the double binding function as well as the fact that they correspond to thrust- 

 off receptors. 



2 Loc. cit. 



3 Annal. de 1'Institut Pasteur, 1900. 



4 Charite Annalen, Vol. X. 



5 See page 36. 



6 Loc. cit. 



7 Revue generate des Materies Colorantes, 1900, Nos. 43 and 44. 



