90 ANAPHYLAXIS AND ANTI-ANAPHYLAXIS 



There is therefore reason, in the interim, for not 

 being too dependent upon them, and for considering 

 that, till proof to the contrary is forthcoming, the 

 anaphylactic antibody has not yet been demonstrated 

 in the case of tuberculin. 



It may be rem.arked, moreover, that the symp- 

 tomatology of the tuberculin reaction is not typical 

 of anaphylaxis. Tuberculous guinea-pigs have been 

 in vain directly injected with tuberculin subcutane- 

 ousl}'; that rapid succession of excitation and para- 

 l\sis which is a characteristic of anaphylactic shock 

 has never been witnessed in them. 



Moreover, the tuberculin reaction only originates 

 in tuberculous animals. It has not been found 

 possible so far — and we ourselves have made numer- 

 ous attempts without success — to sensitise guinea- 

 pigs either with fluid tuberculin or with that con- 

 tained in the bodies of killed tubercle bacilli. It is 

 only infection by living bacilli that renders the animal 

 hypersensitive to tuberculin. 



If it w^ere really of the nature of anaph3daxis, the 

 tuberculin reaction should be capable of arrest by 

 the procedure of small doses. 



Setting out with this idea, Bruyant^ injected tuber- 

 culous guinea-pigs with a weak dose of tuberculin 

 intraperitoneally, then three hours later he submitted 

 them to a test injection with a strong dose. The 

 experiment shewed that guinea-pigs thus quasi- 

 vaccinated exhibited a febrile reaction as strong 

 as guinea-pigs not submitted to anti-anaphylactic 

 vaccination. 



In another set of experiments carried out by the 

 same author tuberculous guinea-pigs were injected 

 intraperitoneally with o-oi gr. of Koch'o tuberculin 

 as an anti-anaphylactic vaccine. Three hours after- 

 wards they were injected with a dose ten times 

 * Comptes rend. Soc. de Biol., Ixx., p. 782, 191 1. 



