10 APPLIED IMMUNOLOGY 



inoculations, are extremely important considerations 

 in immunology ( see Chapter XI ) . 



Other notable antibodies conspicuous in serologi- 

 cal work are agglutinins (Chapter IX), important in 

 certain bacterial agglutination tests, and precipitins 

 ( Chapter X ) , of value in the identification of bloods 

 in forensic medicine. The relationship of these spe- 

 cific antibodies to the immunity of the body is in doubt. 



The production of anaphylaxis, hypersuscepti- 

 bility or supersensitiveness to all proteins save gelatin, 

 and its association with immunization contributes a 

 most interesting and important subject and is fully 

 discussed in Chapter IV. 



History axd Development of Immunology 



Historically, the first reference to any attempt at 

 protection against disease by the utilization of biologi- 

 cal products was made by Mithradates, who, it is al- 

 leged, took small quantities daily of certain poisons in 

 order to render himself immune. Similarly, the cus- 

 tom of hunters of certain wild tribes to inoculate them- 

 selves systematically with snake venom to safeguard 

 the effects of snake bites is well known. 



Immunization, however, was not placed on a truly 

 practical basis until the eighteenth century, although 

 the practice had existed in the East a long time pre- 

 viously. Lady JNIontagu, the wife of the British Am- 



