150 LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 



He was therefore delighted that this Congress, 

 which was to be the scene of his final struggle against 

 his contradictors, should take place in England and 

 not in Germany, a country hostile to his ideas. 



In view of the importance of the coming debate, 

 a series of fresh experiments was made. This time 

 Metchnikoff undertook them not only in person, but 

 also in collaboration with M. Roux and with some 

 students. The whole laboratory was in a state of 

 effervescence. 



The principal papers to be read at the Congress 

 on the question of immunity were those of Messrs. 

 Roux and Biichner, the first entirely in favour of the 

 phagocyte theory and the second supporting the 

 humoral theory. 



Metchnikoff read an epitome of his researches and 

 of his answers to attacks on his theory. Towards the 

 end of the Congress the latter had visibly acquired 

 the suffrage of numerous scientists. Roux wrote to 

 me from London concerning my husband's paper : 



Metchnikoff is busy showing his preparations and, besides, 

 he would not tell you how great is his triumph. He spoke 

 with such passion that he carried everybody with him. I 

 believe that, this evening, the phagocyte theory is the richer 

 by many friends. 



Thus the researches made in recent years and the 

 results of the London Congress allowed us to consider 

 the phagocyte theory of immunity as being solidly 

 established. 



Yet, Behring's discovery of antitoxins still hung 

 over it like a sword of Damocles ; it was imperative 

 that the respective parts played by antitoxins and 

 by phagocytes should be elucidated. With that 



