WASSERMANN REACTION WITH GLYCERINATED HUMAN 



SERUM ^ 



By E. H. RuEDiGER 

 (From the Biological Laboratory, Bureau of Science, Manila, P. I.) 



In a previous report ^ I showed that glycerin is a suitable 

 preservative for human serum intended for the Wassermann 

 reaction. It prevents bacterial growth and does not materially 

 influence the test. The sera previously reported on were studied 

 for a short time only and were tested at weekly intervals; this 

 report deals with sera tested monthly for a period of three 

 months. 



Method. — The Wassermann method with human hsemolytic 

 system was used exclusively in this investigation. 



Complement. — As complement serum the pooled sera of three 

 guinea pigs were used in quantities of 0.1, 0.05, and 0.025 cubic 

 centimeter. 



Antigen. — The antigen was alcoholic extract of human-heart 

 muscle, and was used in quantities of about one fourth of the 

 anticomplementary dose for 1.25 unit of haemolytic amboceptor 

 with 0.05 cubic centimeter of complement serum. This may be 

 done provided it is not anticomplementary in the antigen control, 

 or an allowance is made when the results are read. If one 

 fourth of the anticomplementary dose is anticomplementary in 

 the antigen control, I prefer to use the largest quantity of an- 

 tigen that does not show any anticomplementary property in 

 the antigen control. The control should never be omitted. 

 Throughout this investigation 1 cubic centimeter of alcoholic 

 extract was diluted with 29 cubic centimeters of physiologic salt 

 solution, and each tube received 0.5 cubic centimeter of the 

 diluted antigen. 



Hemolytic amboceptor. — The serum of rabbits that had been 

 immunized against washed human-blood corpuscles was used 

 in doses of from 1 to 2 units per test tube. The term unit was 



^ Submitted for publication March 27, 1916. 

 ' This Journal, Sec. B (1916), 11,1. 



87 



