486 



J. M. HAM ILL. 



II. THE PROPERTIES OF THE ANTIBODY. 



The action of heat on worm extract. Worm extract prepared in the 

 way already described was used in these experiments. Its reaction was 

 neutral, or faintly acid ; never alkaline. Four separate lots of worm 

 extract were taken ; the first was allowed to remain at 15 C. for 6 hours, 

 the second was kept at 37 C. for 6 hours, the third was kept for the 

 pame time at 50 C., and the fourth was boiled for 5 minutes. With 

 these the following mixtures were made : 



W extract at 15 C. for 6 hours. 



Digestion in mm. 



2 c.c. T + 2 c.c. W = 5 -05-5 

 2 c.c. T + 3 c.c. W = 4-5 5-0 

 2 c.c. T + Oc.c. W= 1111 



W extract at 50 C. for 6 hours. 



2 c.c. T + 2 c.c. W = 5-5 5-5 

 2 c.c. T + 3 c.c. W = 5-0 -4-5 

 2 c.c. T + Oc.c. W= 1111 



W extract at 37 C. for 6 hours. 



Digestion in mm. 



2 c.c. T + 2 c.c. W = 5 -05-5 

 2 c.c. T + 3 c.c. W = 4-5 4-5 

 2 c.c. T + Oc.c. W= 1111 



W extract boiled for 5 minutes 



2 c.c. T + 2 c.c. W = 5-0 5-0 

 2 c.c. T + 3 c.c. W = 4-5 5-0 

 2 c.c. T+Oc.c. W= 1111 



T = trypsin solution ; W = worm extract. Gelatine tubes and toluol were added. The 

 numbers opposite each mixture give the amount of digestion in mm. at each end of the 

 tubes 20 hours later. 



These experiments clearly show that the antibody in worm extract 

 prepared as above described is capable of withstanding a considerable 

 rise of temperature. Even boiling for five minutes does not in the least 

 impair its activity. Weinland (2) has stated that the inhibitory power 

 of worm extract is abolished at 100 C., and Dastre and Stassano (4) 

 confirm his observation. As we shall see, their results are obtained only 

 if the medium is alkaline. 



The action of heat on worm extracts in acid and alkaline media. 



In these experiments the acid worm extract was made by the 

 addition of 3 or 4 drops of strong hydrochloric acid to about 5 c.c. of the 

 extract. The alkaline extract was made by the addition of 1 c.c. of 

 2N.Na 2 CO 3 to 1 c.c. of \\orm extract. Thus the alkalinity of the mixture 

 was equivalent to that of N.Na 2 CO 3 . Portions of both alkaline and acid 

 extracts were kept for 6 hours at 15 C., at 37 C., and at 50 ., and 

 some was boiled for 2 minutes. The following mixtures were then 

 made, the acid worm extract being first neutralised when cool : 



