SECTION B. ON THE PROPERTIES OP COMPLEMENT 

 AND ITS MODIFICATIONS 



ON THE DIEECT UNION OF COMPLEMENT WITH CELLS 



In some preliminary observations on the behaviour of 

 complement, I found that it united directly with various 

 animal and vegetable cells, a fact which I afterwards found 

 had been recorded by von Dungern 1 a considerable time 

 previously. Of such cells may be mentioned those of the 

 various organs of the same animal as that supplying the com- 

 plement or of animals of different species, various bacteria, 

 yeasts, &c. Von Dungern supposes that this combination 

 takes place through the complementophile group of the ambo- 

 ceptors when they are still in the position of side-chains 

 in the cells. Whether this is the explanation or not need 

 not be discussed at present ; the important point is that 

 molecules with direct affinity for the same complement are 

 very widespread in the animal and vegetable kingdom. It 

 is generally stated that red corpuscles, unlike other cells, 

 have no affinity for complement, and it is the case that no 

 appreciable amount of complement is taken up by the 

 amount of red corpuscles commonly used in haemolytic 

 experiments. If, however, the stromata be obtained from 

 a large amount of blood and tested, it is easy to demon- 

 strate that a considerable amount of complement enters 

 into combination. I have obtained the stromata by 

 shaking the blood with water, then adding sufficient chloride 

 of sodium to make up to 0-8 per cent., and then centri- 

 fugalizing and separating the sediment. This process is 

 repeated several times and the stromata are obtained as 

 an almost colourless viscous mass. I have used the stromata 

 both after they have been freshly prepared and after they 



1 Von Dungern, Munchener Medicinische Wochenschrift, 1900, No. 20. 



