The Philippine Journal of Science 



1916 



salt solution. The tubes were put into the incubator at 37° 

 C. for one hour. After having been in the incubator one hour, 

 1 cubic centimeter of 2 per cent suspension of sheep corpuscles 

 was added to each tube and each tube was well shaken. The 

 tubes were returned to the incubator for one hour and were then 

 removed to room temperature ; the results were read about three 

 hours after the corpuscles had been added. 



With old serum, or with heated serum, the test was conducted 

 in the following manner: One cubic centimeter of serum was 

 diluted to 5 cubic centimeters with physiologic salt solution, and 

 0.5 cubic centimeter of the diluted serum was put into each 

 of the ten test tubes. Normal human serum diluted to 0.5 

 cubic centimeter was added as in the test just described for 

 fresh serum. Antigen and corpuscles were used as already 

 described. 



TEST 1 



Serum preserved by formalin tested by the Wassermann 

 method. — Specimens 4318, 4319, 4326, and 4328 were secured 

 on September 29, 1915, and the sera were drawn off the clots 

 on September 30, 1915. Each serum was divided into two 

 portions, A and B. Portion A was tested by the Wassermann 

 method without having been mixed with formalin. Portion B 

 was mixed with an equal volume of 1:500 solution of formalin 

 in physiologic salt solution, was kept at room temperature in a 

 cork-stoppered test tube, and was tested at intervals of about 

 a week. A bacteriologic test was made of each serum. 



Table I. — The influence of formalin on the Wassermann reaction. 



No. of 

 serum. 



Date 

 secured. 



Por- 

 tion. 



Date 

 heated. 



Date 

 tested. 



Se- 

 rum. 



Am- 

 bo- 



cep- 

 tor. 



Tube— 



Result. 



1 



2 



3 



1' 



2' 



3' 



4318 

 4319 

 4326 

 4328 



1915. 

 Sept. 29 



—do 



—do 



—do 



A 

 B 

 B 



[A 



r 



Ib 



[A 



f A 

 1 ^ 



Ib 



1915. 

 Sept. 30 

 Oct. 7 

 Oct. 12 

 Sept. 30 

 Oct. 7 

 Oct. 12 

 Sept. 30 

 Oct. 7 

 Oct. 12 

 Sept. 30 

 Oct. 7 

 Oct. 12 



1915. 

 Sept. 30 

 Oct. 7 

 Oct. 12 

 Sept. 30 

 Oct. 7 

 Oct. 12 

 Sept. 30 

 Oct. 7 

 Oct. 12 

 Sept. 30 

 Oct. 7 

 Oct. 12 



cc. 



0.1 

 0.1 

 0.1 

 0.1 

 0.1 

 0.1 

 0.1 

 0.1 

 0.1 

 0.1 

 0.1 

 0.1 



Unit. 

 1.0 

 1.0 

 1.0 

 1.0 

 1.0 

 1.0 

 1.0 

 1.0 

 1.0 

 1.0 

 1.0 

 1.0 



+ 



-t- 



+ 

 + 

 + 

 + 

 + 

 + 

 + 

 + 

 + 



-1- 

 + 

 ± 

 + 

 + 

 tr 

 

 + 

 tr 

 



+? 

 tr? 



tr 

 tr 

 

 tr 

 tr 

 

 

 tr 

 

 

 

 



-1- 

 + 

 H- 

 + 

 + 

 + 

 + 

 -1- 

 -1- 

 + 

 + 

 -t- 



+ 

 H- 

 ± 

 -1- 

 + 

 tr 

 + 

 + 

 tr 

 -1- 

 + 

 tr 



tr 

 tr 

 

 tr 

 tr 

 

 tr 

 tr 

 

 tr 

 

 



Negative. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 

 Strongly positive. 

 Negative. 



Do. 

 Strongly positive. 

 Faintly positive. 



Do. 



The sign + means complete hsemolysis ; ±, haemolysis between 50 per cent and 100 per cent; 

 tr (trace), haemolysis less than 60 per cent; -|-?, barely perceptible sediment; +? in antigen 

 tube and + in corresponding control tube, or tr? in antigen tube and tr in corresponding 

 control tube, means very slight difference. 



