BLOOD SEBUM. 105 



ng manner : The lymphatic glands or the spleen of a dog, or cat, are 

 freed as much as possible from fat and connective tissue, then divided 

 and extracted with a dilute solution of sodium sulphate (one part of 

 a saturated solution to nine parts of water). The cell globulin passes 

 into solution, while the other proteids are but sparingly soluble. 

 After twenty-four hours, the fluid is filtered and mixed with an ex- 

 cess of alcohol. The voluminous precipitate contains the cell glob- 

 ulin and is collected on a filter and washed with absolute alcohol. 

 For use, a part is dissolved in water, and a small quantity of a bouil- 

 lon culture of the anthrax bacillus is added. From time to time 

 plate cultures are made, along with control plates, and in this way 

 the germicidal properties of the substance are demonstrated. Hankin 

 reached the following conclusions : 



1 . Halliburton's cell-globulin-/9 has marked germicidal properties. 



2. In this respect it diflFers from fibrin ferment. 



3. The germicidal properties of this substance seem to be identi- 

 cal with those of serum, as described by Buchner, Nissen and Nut- 

 tall. 



4. The active properties of the serum are probably due to this or 

 an allied body. 



Bitter repeated these experiments, but failed to confirm them ; 

 however, it is certain that the spleen contains a germicidal substance, 

 but whether it can be extracted by the method of Hankin or not we 

 do not know. 



Christmas prepared a germicidal substance from the spleen and 

 other organs by the following method : The animal is killed with 

 ether, opened under aseptic precautions, and the organ removed, cut 

 into fine pieces, covered with 50 c.c. of glycerin and allowed to stand 

 for twenty-four hours and then filtered. The filtrate is precipitated 

 with five times its volume of alcohol and this is immediately decanted. 

 The precipitate is washed with absolute alcohol in order to remove 

 the glycerin, and then traces of alcohol are taken up by pressure 

 between folds of blotting paper and the precipitate is dissolved in 

 25 C.C. of distilled water. Through this solution air is passed for 

 some hours in order to remove traces of alcohol, and then the fluid 

 is filtered and its germicidal action tested. 



Bitter examined this method also, and the impartial reader may 

 see that he did not do so with fairness. However, this fact renders 

 the work all the more valuable because his results confirm the state- 

 ments of Christmas. Bitter killed his animals by venesection and, 

 in some cases, at least, prepared the substance in unsterilized vessels, 

 but even when this was done the solution was germ-free and mani- 

 fested marked germicidal properties. However, Bitter found a dif- 

 ference between this substance and the germicidal constituent of 

 blood serum ; the latter is certainly destroyed by a temperature of 

 65°, while the solution of Christmas, after lu^ving been heated to this 



