216 PUBLIC HEALTH BACTERIOLOGY 



produced a state of milder anaphylaxis than the raw white- 

 of-egg. They hence conclude that the constituent of the 

 white-of-egg which causes sensitation, while attenuated by 

 heat, is thermostabile. This active state of anaphylaxis 

 lasts for several months. 



Passive anaphylaxis was produced within 24 hours after 

 the injection into a guinea-pig of the serum of a guinea-pig 

 which had been previously treated with white-of-egg. The 

 injection thereafter into the jugular vein of the sensitized 

 guinea-pig of -g^ to T ^ c.c. of white-of-egg, produced 

 the classical symptoms of anaphylaxis, with death in 1 

 to 3 minutes. On the other hand, when the serum and the 

 white-of-egg were injected at the same time, one guinea-pig 

 showed a marked dyspnoea and some malaise immediately 

 after the injection, but quickly recovered ; another showed 

 slight respiratory distress ; and a third showed no reaction. 

 In all three the injection was into the jugular vein ; in 

 the first two it consisted of 2 c.c. of anaphylactic serum 

 mixed with T -$ c.c. of white-of-egg ; in the third guinea- 

 pig, it consisted of 1-5 c.c. of serum mixed with 1 c.c. of 

 10 per cent solution of white-of-egg, equal to -^ c.c. of 

 white-of-egg. Passive anaphylaxis, thus quickly induced, 

 disappears more quickly than the active form, namely 

 in about a fortnight. The mixture of the anaphylactic 

 serum of the rabbit sensitized to white-of-egg, with white- 

 of-egg, produced a precipitate. This was collected and 

 diluted in normal saline, and injected into the jugular 

 vein of two fresh (non-sensitized) guinea-pigs, and produced 

 no reaction.* 



Whether active or passive anaphylaxis was conferred, 

 the injection of a minute dose intravenously or intra- 

 cerebrally produced the classical symptoms and shock 

 resulting in death, described in the anaphylaxis due to 

 serum and milk. Injected intraperitoneally, it is rare to 

 get grave symptoms ; subcutaneously, no anaphylactic 

 symptoms have been noted. This is markedly different 

 from serum anaphylaxis, where the subcutaneous route 

 is as fatal as the others. From this Besredka and 

 Bronfenbrenner deduce that the most important thing in 

 the production of the anaphylactic shock is the rapidity 

 with which the antibody in the blood comes into contact 



