62 PROPERTIES OF H^MOLYTIC SERA 



ON COMPLEMENTOIDS IN RELATION TO THE 

 DOSAGE OF COMPLEMENT IN DIFFERENT 

 MEDIA 1 



The basis of the following observations was a phenomenon 

 recorded by Bordet 2 in connexion with anti-immune-bodies. 

 He found that the anti-immune-body might be able to pro- 

 tect corpuscles treated with immune-body against the action 

 of complement when the corpuscles were suspended in guinea- 

 pig's serum heated at 55 C., (i.e. deprived of complement) 

 whilst the protective action might fail when they were 

 suspended in salt solution. In other words, the action of 

 the complement on the corpuscles was greater in the latter 

 medium. We have made corresponding observations and 

 can fully confirm Bordet's results. In explanation of the 

 phenomenon he considers that the salt solution is a less 

 suitable medium for the corpuscles than the heated serum 

 of the guinea-pig, thus the haemoglobin diffuses out more 

 readily. There is thus only a relative neutralization of 

 the immune-body * la sensibilisation simplement attenuee 

 produit encore ses effets si les globules sont maintenus dans 

 un milieu diminuant leur resistance.' He further considers 

 that the fact referred to is somewhat analogous to the 

 observations of Roux and Vaillard that a mixture of tetanus 

 toxin and anti-toxin might be harmless for normal guinea- 

 pigs and still be dangerous for guinea-pigs previously 

 debilitated by vaccination against the cholera vibrio. We 

 have considered the subject of some importance and have 

 carried out observations with the following results. It 

 may be pointed out, however, that the further application 

 of Bordet's explanation would imply that ox's serum 

 heated at 55 C. is a less suitable medium for ox's corpuscles 



1 This section was originally part of the paper " On the Properties of 

 Anti-Immune-Bodies and on Complementoids," by R. Muir and C. H. 

 Browning, Journ. of Hygiene, vol. vi, 1906. 



2 Bordet, Annales de VInst. Pasteur, vol. xviii, p. 593. 



