ANAPHYLAXIS 



saturation with the salt is increased, the proteins which come down 

 decrease progressively and in parallelism, both as regards the power 

 to sensitize and the faculty of exerting toxic action on second injec- 

 tion. The albumin, which finally comes out on total saturation, is 

 devoid both of sensitizing and of toxic properties. Similar results 

 were obtained by Doerr and Russ with the precipitation of serum 

 proteins with CO 2 . 



The weight of evidence, therefore, seems to point against a chem- 

 ical separation of the two functions in the antigen. 



Besredka's contentions in favor of such a separation were based 

 chiefly upon a difference in resistance to heat. 



Nffis experiments showed that the sensitizing properties of serum 

 are not lost even if it is heated to 120 C v while the toxogenic 

 powers are destroyed by much lower temperatures. The results of 

 Besredka as to the differences in thermostability between the two 

 properties have found confirmation by Kraus and Volk 9 and others, 

 and there can be little doubt that the sensitizing function is extremely 

 heat-resistant, since this has also been shown by Wells, 10 Rosenau 

 and Anderson, and many others. However, researches by Doerr and 

 Russ, 11 and notably by Wells, have shown that, though not destroyed 

 by high temperatures, even moderate heating markedly diminishes 

 the sensitizing function, and that larger doses have to be given as 

 the temperature is increased; and since the smallest quantities of 

 antigen necessary for inducing shock at the second injection must be 

 anywhere from 100 to 1,000 times as large as the smallest sensi- 

 tizing doses, it is quite likely that a combination of such conditions 

 might simulate an actual difference in heat resistance. In fact, this 

 is the view expressed by Wells 12 and borne out by experiments car- 

 ried out by Doerr and Russ. 



Wells, too, confirms the identity of sensitizing and toxic sub- 

 stance by his experiments on the influence of tryptic digestion upon 

 these properties of the antigen. He concludes that both sensitizing 

 and intoxicating properties are attacked and slowly decrease as the 

 coagulable protein disappears. 



As to that aspect of Besredka's theory which deals with the 

 indirect participation of the central nervous system, his arguments 

 are based mainly on the fact that ether narcosis seemed, in his 

 experiments, to prevent anaphylactic shock when animals were 

 deeply anesthetized during the second injection, and also upon the 

 regularity, severity, and speed with which anaphylactic symptoms 

 follow injections directly into the brain. The former contention 

 regarding narcotics cannot, by any means, be accepted as yet, 



9 Kraus and Volk. Zeitschr. f. Immunitatsforschung, Vol. 3, 1909. 



10 Wells. Jour. Inf. Dls., Vol. 5, 1908. 



11 Doerr and Russ. Loc. cit. 



12 Wells. Jour. Inf. Dis., Vol. 6, p. 521, 1909. 



