RECENT WORK ON ANAPHYLAXIS 125 



From the etiological point of view, however, it 

 seems only reasonable at present to draw a clear 

 line of distinction between these various conditions. 

 True anaphylaxis consists in a series of well-defined 

 and recognisable symptoms with sudden onset, 

 arising as the result of the inoculation or, less fre- 

 quently, the ingestion of foreign protein ; and Besredka 

 has clearly defined the limits of this reaction in the 

 present work. Besides this condition, there are 

 numerous diseases — acute exanthemata, bacterial in- 

 fections, asthma, etc. — in which there is a varying 

 amount of positive evidence that anaphylaxis is 

 concerned in the causation of symptoms. At the 

 same time, the evidence is by no means complete, 

 and it is rather unfortunate that an alternative name 

 — such as allergy — is not more frequently adopted. 

 The term " anaphylaxis," however, appears to have 

 become firmly fixed in our nomenclature, and its 

 significance broadens every year. 



Meanwhile, in the course of researches on the revived 

 cellular theory of anaphylaxis, serum tests have been 

 devised. Dale^ has shewn, by means of the graphic 

 method, that when the excised and washed muscle 

 of a sensitised animal {e.g., virgin guinea-pig's uterus) 

 is placed in a bath of Ringer's solution, it will con- 

 tract on the addition of the protein which had been 

 used for sensitisation. Manwaring and Yoshio 

 Kusama^ have substituted the guinea-pig's lung for 

 the uterus in the test; Schultz^ and R. Massini"* 

 have used the guinea-pig's intestine. Schultz,^ 

 indeed, suggests that in serum anaphylaxis all 

 smooth muscle becomes sensitised. It is interesting 

 to note in passing that with the use of this test 



^ Journ. Pharmacol, and Exper. Therap., iv., p. 167, 1912-13. 



2 Journal of Immunology, ii., p. 157, 1917. 



3 Jotirn. Pharmacol, and Exper. Therap., i., p. 549, 1909-10. 

 -* Zeitschr. f. Immunitdtsf., I. Teil Orig., xxv., p. 179, 191 6. 



