THE OR Y OF L YSO GEN 1C A C TION. 48 5 



solving power, though it still agglutinates ; but if a small quantity of 

 normal serum is added to it the active hiemolytic power is restored. 

 The action is not absolutely restricted to the red corpuscles of the 

 species of animal employed, though it is most marked in this case. 



Theory of Lysogenic Action, Ehrlich has recently 

 applied his theory of antitoxines to the lysogenic 

 action of sera towards bacteria and red corpuscles. 

 He has confirmed Bordet's experiments with regard to 

 haemolysis in the case of the goat treated with injections 

 of sheep's corpuscles, though here he observed no agglutina- 

 tive property. His observations show that the body 

 specially developed in the blood of the animal treated 

 the "immune-body," enters into firm combination with the 

 red corpuscles, but is unable of itself to cause their solution. 

 The other substance, present in normal blood and probably 

 a ferment, has no chemical affinity for red corpuscles but 

 forms a loose compound with the "immune-body." The 

 injection of red corpuscles stimulates the production of 'the 

 " immune-body," which is to be regarded as a " side-chain " 

 of the normal cells with an affinity for the protoplasm of 

 the red corpuscles. The process is thus of the same nature 

 as in the case of antitoxines, the difference being that here 

 the body developed does not act alone, but is attached by 

 a second atom complex to a ferment naturally existing in 

 the serum. Probably it is the same ferment which effects 

 the solution both of red corpuscles and of bacteria, the 

 peculiar or specific element being the immune-body which 

 binds, by means of the affinities of its atonf groups, this 

 ferment to a red corpuscle or to a bacterium, as the case 

 may be. Substances contained in the bacterial protoplasm 

 thus stimulate, as toxines do, the over -regeneration of 

 molecules for which they have a specific chemical affinity. 

 It may be added that evidence has recently been brought 

 forward that in cholera (Pfeiffer and Marx) and in typhoid 

 (Wassermann) the specific immune-bodies are chiefly 

 formed in the spleen, bone -marrow and lymphatic glands. 

 This result was obtained by examining the various organs 

 during the earlier stages of immunisation. 



