198 . IMMUNE SERA 



demonstrated. Much 1 therefore concludes that in 

 both cases the same substance circulates in the 

 blood, and that, moreover, in both this substance 

 is derived from a degeneration of the nerve tissue. 



Weil^s Cobra Venom Test in Syphilis 



In studying the varying resistance of red blood 

 corpuscles to haemolytic agents, Weil 2 noted that 

 the corpuscles of syphilitics were regularly more 

 resistant to the action of cobra venom than those 

 of normal individuals. Just what is the cause of 

 this increased resistance is not entirely clear. It 

 is known that syphilis attacks the lipoids of the 

 body, and that the amount of lecithin which can 

 be extracted from the tissues is less in syphilitic 

 conditions than in normal individuals. The in- 

 creased resistance has therefore been thought to 

 be due to a decrease in the lecithin content of the 

 red blood corpuscles. 



Antitrypsin Determinations 



We have already pointed out that the animal 

 body responds to the injection of ferments by 

 the production of antiferments. Considerable in- 



1 Much, - Die Immunitatswissenschaft. C. Kabitzsch, Wurz- 

 burg, 1911. 



2 Weil, Richard, Journal of Infectious Diseases, Vol. vi, Nov., 

 1909. Proceedings Society Exp. Biology and Medicine, Vol. vi 

 and Vol. vii. 



