COMPLEMENT AND ANTICOMPLEMENT. 269 



Added proof of the multiplicity of complements Anticom- 

 has been obtained by experiments with anticom- 

 plements. As stated, the latter are obtained by 

 immunization of suitable animals with normal or 

 immune serums which contain complement or com- 

 plementoid. When they are mixed with the homolo- 

 gous complements the haptophores of the latter 

 are bound by means of the haptophores of the anti- 

 complements. The evidence of this union lies in 

 the fact that a complement which has been treated 

 with its specific anticomplement is no longer able 

 to activate the appropriate amboceptor (p. 280). 

 With properly selected serums, it may be shown 

 that a given anticomplement will neutralize a com- 

 plement which is specific for one amboceptor, but 

 will have no effect on another complement which 

 activates a different amboceptor. Hence, comple- 

 ments differ at least in this respect that not all have 

 identical haptophores. Immunization with leuco- 

 cytes, cells which contain complement, also causes 

 the formation of anticomplement. Both natural 

 and acquired antibacterial immunity may be low- 

 ered by the injection of anticomplement which is 

 homologous to the complement of the animal. 



Some time ago, Ehrlich expressed the opinion 

 that an amboceptor in certain cases may have more 

 than one complementophilous haptophore; in 

 other words, that it, may be a polyceptor rather 

 than an amboceptor. This has again been empha- 

 sized recently by way of explaining the ability of 

 an amboceptor to absorb from a normal serum not 

 only the complement which serves to activate the 

 amboceptor, but also others which happen to be 

 present in the serum. The former is spoken of as 

 the dominant complement and the latter as non- 



