ON ANTI-IMMUNE-BODIES 109 



ON THE COMBINATION OF NATURAL IMMUNE-BODIES 

 WITH ANTI-IMMUNE BODY 



In view of the general law that an anti-substance de- 

 veloped in an animal combines with the substance introduced, 

 and in view of the fact that the serum of the normal rabbit 

 is used for injection, we would expect that bodies in this 

 serum would unite with the anti-immune-body developed as 

 the result of the injection. Bordet surmised that the anti- 

 immune-body developed in the guinea-pig was the result of 

 the introduction of the natural immune-bodies in the rabbit's 

 serum, of which doubtless there is a large number, and 

 Ehrlich and Sachs are decidedly of the same opinion. The 

 combining properties of these immune-bodies might theoreti- 

 cally be demonstrated in two ways, viz. (a) by allowing them 

 to combine with the anti-immune-body and thus interfering 

 with its ordinary action, and (b) by allowing them to act on 

 the anti-immune-body after it has combined with the red 

 corpuscles treated with immune-body, and removing in part 

 its inhibitory action. Both methods have been carried out. 



(a) The direct combination of the anti-IB from the guinea- 

 pig with the natural immune-bodies in rabbit's serum. The 

 following is the scheme of experiment : 



; W 



A. Anti-IB + rabbit's serum 55 I + RCs + 5 IB \ Estimate how 



(naturaUBs) j washed j "ffff 



B (control). Anti-IB + guinea-pig's serum : + RCs + 5 IB: Do. do. 



washed 



Example. In A the amount of C taken up was 0-014 c.c. 

 In B 0-009 c.c. 



As half tubes (0-5 c.c. of suspension of red corpuscles) were 

 used, and the dose of C for half a tube was 0-0037, there is 

 a difference of fully a dose of C in the two series, i. e. the 

 natural immune-bodies have united with an amount of anti- 

 immune-body which would keep out more than a dose of C. 



