102 PATHOGENIC BACTERIA. 



phate, but not with alcohol. The chemic composition 

 of the bodies caused Buchner to class them with the pro- 

 teids. Their composition seems to be very complex, and 

 probably varies with different animals. 



The histogenesis of the germicidal substance has been 

 given a great deal of attention. Those who hold that it 

 is a nuclein or a cell globulin usually refer its origin to 

 the leukocytes. Christmas-Dircking-Holmfeld l found 

 that pus secured from animals immune to anthrax was 

 fatal to the anthrax bacillus. Grawitz 2 and Eichel 3 

 have observed staphylococci and anthrax bacilli die in a 

 few days when placed in pus obtained from turpentine 

 abscesses. Deuys and Havet, 4 and Buchner 5 found that 

 the bactericidal value of inflammatory exudates was 

 much greater when it contained dead leukocytes than 

 when they were filtered out. Alexin-like substances, 

 therefore, seem to be liberated from the leukocytes, and 

 in theory one may imagine suppuration to be the result 

 of Nature's effort to concentrate germicidal substances 

 by which to destroy bacteria, by aggregating large num- 

 bers of leukocytes in the infected area. Hankin has ap- 

 plied the term Alexocytes to certain of the leukocytes 

 which he believes to contain the greatest quantity of 

 bactericidal substance. 



Bordet 6 believes that the bactericidal substances es- 

 cape from the leukocytes only when they are injured, 

 and that their presence in blood serum depends upon the 

 fact that in the process of coagulation many leukocytes 

 have been destroyed. 



The appearance of the germicidal activity of the serum 

 with the destruction of the leukocytes probably explains 

 the curious discrepancy that, though the blood of an ani- 

 mal, when withdrawn from its body, is capable of killing 

 bacteria, the blood and juices of the same animal while 

 in its body are unable so to do. Thus, when cultures of 



1 Fortschritte der Med., 1887, 13. 4 La Cellule, x.. I. 



2 Virchoiv's Archives, cxvi. 6 Mibichenermed. Wochensckrift, 1894, 25. 



3 Ibid., cxxi. « Annales de I' Inst. Pasteur, 1895, 6. 



