196 COLLOIDS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 



Hemolysins dissolve red blood corpuscles. Two substances are usually required 

 for hemolysis. One is specific, the real antibody, and is called amboceptor. The 

 other occurs in every serum and is complement. Complement consists of two 

 parts, one of which, the middle piece, is precipitated with the globulin; the end 

 piece remains with the albumin of the serum. Only when both are united does 

 complement act. According to H. SACHS, OMORVKOW and RITZ there is an addi- 

 tional " third component," quite heat stable. According to P. SCHMIDT comple- 

 ment is a single substance of which a portion is adsorbed by globulin when it 

 is precipitated. 



Complement, see hemolysin. 



Lysins cause solution. Bacteriolysins dissolve bacteria, hemolysins dissolve 

 red blood corpuscles. 



Precipitins flocculate albumin. 



Toxins, poisons which produce antitoxins when injected. 



The Nature of Antigens and Immune Bodies. 



The substances involved in immunity reactions are all dissolved 

 or suspended colloids. There is, therefore, a particular reason for 

 studying these questions from the standpoint of colloid investigation. 1 



So far it has been impossible to produce immune bodies by means 

 of a crystalloid; a foreign colloid (antigen) has always been required. 



The proof of the colloid character of antigens and immune bodies 

 has been demonstrated in numerous cases. Upon dialysis, they 

 do not pass through a dialyzing membrane; the diffusibility of diph- 

 theria toxin and tetanolysin and their antitoxin are indicative of a 

 particle magnitude of the same order as hemoglobin (Sv. ARRHENIUS). 

 Ultrafiltration of diphtheria toxin, toxon and antitoxin and anti-rennin 

 gave similar results (H. BECHHOLD). The hemolytic complement of 

 guinea-pig serum is inactivated by shaking with the formation of a 

 precipitate (M. JACOBY and A. SCHUTZE). This indicates a concen- 

 tration at the boundary of fluid/air, as in the case of albumin and 

 other colloids. The observation of W. BILTZ, H. MUCH and C. 

 SIEBEBT that a bactericidal horse serum loses its bactericidal activity 

 upon shaking is to be ascribed to a similar phenomenon. 2 



1 We may mention the following papers which treat Immunity with particu- 

 lar reference to the standpoint of colloid chemistry: 



K. LANDSTEINBR, Die Theorien der Antikorperbildung, Wiener Klin. Wochen- 

 schr. 22, Nr. 47 (1909). 



Idem., Kolloide u. Lipoide in d. Immunitatslehre im Handbuch d. Pathogenen 

 microorganism VON KOLLE u. Wassermann, Bd. II (1913). 



O. FORGES, im Handb. d. Technik u. Methodik d. Immunitatsforschung, Bd. II, 

 Lief. 2 (Jena, 1909). 



H. ZANGGER, Vierteljahrsschr. d. Naturf.-Ges. in Zurich, 1908, 408-455. 



2 It might be claimed that these substances, which it is impossible to prepare in 

 pure form, are not in themselves colloids, but that they are adsorbed by the 

 proteins simultaneously present in the solution and thus simulate -what colloid 

 character they exhibit. For the correctness of this view no evidence has hitherto 

 been presented. 



