HEMOLYSIS OR ERYTHROCYTOLYSIS 193 



were indefinite. Stewart l obtained similar results by immuniz- 

 ing with corpuscles laked by physical means, by serums, or by 

 saponin. According to Guerrini, 2 nucleoproteid obtained from 

 dog's blood will give rise to specific hemolysins, and Beebe has 

 found that nucleoproteids from visceral organs do not have this 

 effect. Levene's alkaline extracts probably also contained 

 nucleoproteids. 



The Complement. Hemolytic complement possesses the 

 same properties as bacteriolytic complement, resembling enzymes 

 to the extent that it is susceptible to heat and causes a disinte- 

 gration of cells. The joint action of amboceptor and complement 

 is strikingly like the activation of trypsinogen by trypsin, or of 

 glycolytic enzyme by pancreatic extract. On the other hand, 

 hemolysis by serum is quite different from the effect of trypsin 

 on corpuscles, as trypsin completely disorganizes the hemo- 

 globin and destroys the stroma, while in hemolysis the stroma 

 and hemoglobin seem to be merely separated from one another 

 but not chemically altered. Again, hemolysin acts quantitatively, 

 although that may be due to a difference in the way the binding 

 to the cell occurs, rather than in the method of action of the 

 complement. 



Probably complement is produced in leucocytes, and perhaps 

 in many or all other cells, but removal of the spleen does not 

 prevent either the presence of complement or the formation of 

 immune bodies. Although the serum of one animal may com- 

 plement the immune bodies in serum of several other varieties, 

 and also produce lysis of many sorts of cells, there is probably 

 not one complement that does all the complementing ; Ehrlich 

 and others have proved that one serum may contain several com- 

 plements of slightly differing natures. It is also known that 

 heat-resisting substances may act as complement, and Kyes has 

 demonstrated that red corpuscles may contain within themselves 

 a hemolytic complement, endocomplement. For cobra poison 

 lecithin may act as complement, and it has been possible to 

 isolate the lecithin-venom combination. 3 



Antibodies can be obtained for both complement and hemo- 

 lytic amboceptor by immunizing against serum containing them, 

 and in many serums antihemolysins exist normally. Against 

 certain vegetable hemolysins this antihemolytic action is very 

 strong (Kobert). Antihemolysins are generally anticomple- 

 ments, but in a number of instances anti-amboceptors have been 

 obtained. 



1 Amer. Jour, of Physiol., 1904 (11), 250. 



2 Kiv. crit. di clin. med., 1903 (4), 561. 



3 Kyes, Berl. klin. Woch., 1903 (40), 957. 



13 



