WASSERMAN REACTION 



6l 



The materials necessary in the Wassermann test are as follows: 



i. Syphilitic antigen, extract from the syphilitic liver of a fetus, 

 in alcohol, ether or water; lipoids like lecithin or extracts from 

 guinea pig's heart are said to act as antigen. 



2 a. Serum from a known case of syphilis and containing therefore 

 syphilitic antibody. 



20. Known non-syphilitic serum without anti-body. 



3. The suspected serum. 



4. Fresh serum from a guinea pig, rich in complement. 



5. Serum from a rabbit that has been immunized against washed 

 red cells from a sheep; called amboceptor. 



6. Fresh washed sheeps' red blood cells. 



The solutions are all standardized so that only sufficient of each 

 is added to complete the absorption or produce the hemolysis. The 

 serum known to be syphilitic and the suspected serum are heated 

 to 56 C. for 30 minutes to destroy the native and inherent comple- 

 ment. The rabbit anti-sheep cell serum is also heated to this degree. 



The hemolytic series, i.e., sheep's cells, rabbit's anti-sheep's cells, 

 serum and complement are standardized to find out what quantities 

 will exactly complete hemolysis. These quantities are the units. 

 It is necessary in control tests to find out what quantity of the antigen 

 and known syphilitic anti-body will unite to bind the determined 

 quantity of complement. The tests are performed in small tubes 

 so as to have a long column of fluid easier to observe. Tubes are 

 set as follows: 



+ i unit #5+1 unit #6 = No hemolysis. 

 + i unit #5 + 1 unit #6 = 



if #3 be Syphilitic, no hemolysis. 



if #3 be Non-syphilitic hemolysis. 

 -f- i unit #5 + 1 unit #6= Hemolysis. 

 + i unit #5+1 unit #6 = Hemolysis. 

 + i unit #5 + 1 unit #6 = Hemolysis. 

 + i unit #5 + 1 unit #6 = Hemolysis. 

 + i unit #5 + 1 unit #6 = Hemolysis. 

 + i unit #5 + 1 unit #6 = No hemolysis. 

 + i unit #5+1 unit #6 = No hemolysis. 

 + i unit #5+1 unit #6 = No hemolysis. 

 + i unit #5 + i unit #6 = No hemolysis 



C. 

 D. 

 E. 

 F. 

 G. 

 H. 

 J. 

 K. 

 L.- 



unit #1 + 1 unit #2a+ i unit #4. 

 unit #1 + 1 unit #3+1 unit #4. 



unit #i + i unit #2b+ i unit #4. 



unit #2a+ i unit #4. 



unit #2b + i unit #4. 



unit #3 + i unit #4. 



unit #4. 



unit #i. 



unit #2a. 



unit #2b. 



unit #3. 



