DISEASE, INFECTION, AND RESISTANCE 



297 



1, 2, and 3. If no hemolysis occurs it is evident that the 

 complement has been used up, therefore, that there is 

 amboceptor present in the patient 's serum and the disease is 

 diagnosed as glanders. On the other hand, when the mix- 

 ture of 4 and 5 is added to 1, 2 and 3 hemolysis will occur 

 if the complement has not been fixed. This will occur if 

 amboceptor is absent. The diagnosis then would be 

 negative. 



A somewhat similar method, usually termed the Wasser- 

 mann test, is commonly used in the diagnosis of syphilis in 



FIG. 61. PHAGOCYTOSES. 1. Of bacilli. 2. Of cocci. 



man. While theoretically many disease-producing organ- 

 isms cause the development of amboceptors, their presence 

 in the body is usually not used as a means of diagnosis with 

 the exception of the diseases glanders, syphilis, Malta fever 

 and gonorrhea. 



OPSONINS AND PHAGOCYTOSIS 



It has already been noted (page 278) that Metschnikoff 

 first called attention to the fact that certain body cells, 

 particularly certain types of white blood corpuscles are 



