CHAPTER XIX 

 BACTERIOLYSINS 



HAVING considered the general nature and properties of amboceptors 

 and complements and the mechanism of their action in producing solu- 

 tion or lysis of cells, we will now study more closely the bacteriolysins, 

 which are antibodies belonging to this group and possessing diagnostic 

 and considerable therapeutic importance. 



Historic. The early history of the discovery of the bacteriolysins 

 is closely associated with the history of immunity in general, for with 

 the discoveries in bacteriology and the establishment of the relation of 

 bacteria to disease, it followed as a matter of course that investigations 

 should be undertaken to ascertain the mechanism of resistance to and 

 of recovery from an infection. 



In 1874 Traube showed that septic material may be destroyed in the 

 blood of living animals, and in 1881 Lister demonstrated the same phe- 

 nomenon in extravascular blood. These experiments were naturally 

 somewhat crude, as they antedated the period in which the pyogenic 

 microorganisms were isolated and studied in pure culture, but they 

 served, nevertheless, to demonstrate the germicidal powers of the blood. 



In 1886 Fodor demonstrated the germicidal action of blood-serum 

 upon anthrax bacilli. This work was followed shortly after by that of 

 Fliigge and Nuttall, who showed the germicidal powers of the body-fluids 

 in general independent of cells. The controversy between the adherents 

 of the cellular and humoral theories of immunity now began, as Metchni- 

 koff was actively engaged in studying phagocytes and in formulating 

 his phagocytic theory. 



Buchner and others took up the subject, emphasizing the important 

 germicidal powers of the body-fluids and ascribing this function to the 

 presence of "alexins" (substances that ward off disease). Buchner 

 showed that if the serum was heated this germicidal power was lost; 

 hence it followed that the active bacteriolytic agent was considered very 

 unstable and was quickly destroyed outside of the body. 



In 1894 Pfeiffer demonstrated most clearly the phenomenon of bac- 

 teriolysis, which gave great encouragement and impetus to studies in 



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