112 PROPERTIES OF ILEMOLYTIC SERA 



the results of the various experiments both on the preven- 

 tion of union of anti-immune-body and also on its disso- 

 ciation, are quite in accord in the two series. 



ON THE POSSIBILITY OF PREVENTING THE COMBINATION OF 

 ANTI-IMMUNE-BODY BY MEANS OF COMPLEMENT 



This is, of course ; the converse to the experiments recorded 

 above with regard to the keeping out of complement by 

 means of anti-immune-body. Our experiments were carried 

 out by heating two equal quantities (A and B) of red cor- 

 puscles at 55 C. over night as described above, then adding 

 to both the same amounts of immune-body, whilst to those 

 in A a large amount of complement is also added. After 

 time for combination the corpuscles were washed and the 

 fluid pipetted off. The two sets of corpuscles were then 

 added to the same amounts of anti-immune-body, and then 

 the amount of anti-immune-body in the supernatant fluid 

 was tested for in the usual way. The results of several 

 experiments all agreed in showing no distinct difference in 

 the amounts of anti-immune-body taken up. We were thus 

 unable to show that complement kept out anti-immune- 

 body a result which would have been practically conclusive 

 as to the union of these two substances with the same com- 

 bining-group. 



As stated in the introduction Bordet considered that the 

 results which he obtained with regard to anti-immune-bodies, 

 and which in all important points we have been able to 

 confirm, were inconsistent with Ehrlich's side-chain theory, 

 and especially with his view regarding the amboceptor con- 

 stitution of immune-bodies. His criticism, however, is based 

 on the assumption that an anti-immune-body must combine 

 with the cytophile group of the amboceptor, that is, must 

 have the same combining-group as the corresponding cell- 

 receptor. The facts demonstrated of course show that this 



