BACTERIOLYSINS AND H^MOLYSINS 65 



Ehrlich and Bordet differ, Bordet assumes that 

 the substance sensibilatrice (the immune body) 

 acts as a kind of mordant on the red cells or bac- 

 teria, sensitizing these to the action of the alexin 

 (complement). According to Ehrlich, however, the 

 process is not analogous to a staining process, 

 but follows definite laws of chemical combination, 

 there being, in fact, no affinity whatever between 

 the complement and the blood cells or bacteria. 

 Furthermore, according to this authority, the com- 

 plement always acts through the mediation of the 

 immune body, which possesses two combining 

 groups; one, the cytophile group, combining with 

 the cell, and another, the complementophile group, 

 combining with the complement. Both observers 

 have devised a series of ingenious experiments to 

 support their views. But as these can interest only 

 the specialist, we shall omit their discussion here. 

 For such details the original articles may be con- 

 sulted. 



The Side-Chain Theory Applied to these Bodies. - 

 All of the specific relations which, in a previous 

 chapter, we saw existed between toxin and anti- 

 toxin, Ehrlich and Morgenroth in their experi- 

 ments above noted found existed also between 

 immune body and the specific blood cell. The 

 immune body must therefore possess a haptophore 

 group which fits exactly to certain receptors or 

 side chains of the red cells, just as the anti-body 



