ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES OF ANAPHYLAXIS 81 



of view of anaphylaxis, just as it is peculiar also 

 from the point of view of precipitation. The animal 

 possesses, as is well known, the power of manufac- 

 turing a precipitin with the crystaUin from the same 

 species. 



Is the guinea-pig capable of manufacturing sensi- 

 bilisin — that is to say, of becoming sensitised with 

 the crystalhn of the guinea-pig ? 



Kruscius* answers in the affirmative; Romer and 

 Gebb^ in the negative. In order to decide this 

 difference of opinion, Kapsenberg,^ after weighing the 

 evidence, finds that the two opponents are equally 

 right. The result of his experiments shews that the 

 guinea-pig is capable of being sensitised with crystallin 

 of the same species when the dose of the test injection 

 is raised. When crystallin of another species is 

 injected into the animal under experiment, a minimal 

 ■dose of the substance is sufficient to determine the 

 anaphylactic state. 



In the two cases, therefore, there is production of 

 anaphylactic antibody or of sensibilisin ; the difference 

 only relates to the quantity of antibody formed. 



Another fact has confused the question of crys- 

 talhn. Supported by a comparative study of the 

 -crystallin of the pig, the ox, and the ass, Andrejew, 

 has gone as far as to deny the specificity. According 

 to this author, a guinea-pig sensitised with the crys- 

 tallin of one species reacts in the presence of the 

 crystallin of another species. The reaction, it is true, 

 is less pronounced than in the case of homologous 

 crystallins, but it exists none the less. 



Fresh experiments were necessary to clear up the 



1 Grafe's Archiv. f. Ophthalmologic, Ixxxii,, p. i8o, 1912 

 (quoted by Morax and Bollak). 



2 Archiv. f. Augenheilkunde, p. 6, 1910. 



3 Zeitschr. f. Immunitdtsf., xv., p. 518, 1912. 



* Arbeiten a. d. kaiserl. Gesundheitsamte, xxx., p. 450, 1909. 



