CHANGES IN THE VlTAI, PROPERTIES OF THE 

 SERUM. 



Even normal blood serum is often very injurious to another 

 animal and especially to an animal of a different genus. This 

 inimical action is mainly toxic or globulicidal (haemolytic). 



Toxic Serum is often the result of an admixture of toxins, 

 albumoses or ptomains produced as the result of particular infec- 

 tions and thus belongs to the subject of contagious diseases. In 

 other cases it seems to inhere in given genera and to be effective 

 only in animals of a different genus. Hence the great importance, 

 when resorting to transfusion of blood, of seeing that the blood 

 is drawn from the same genus of animal into which it is to be in- 

 troduced. This toxicity, in certain cases, appears to be con- 

 nected with the coagulation of blood in the capillaries and arter- 

 ioles. 



Globulicidal Serum is distinct from mere toxicity, its action 

 consisting in the destruction of the red globules by liquefaction 

 (haemolysis). Eike toxicity this is usually exerted when the 

 serum of one genus of animal is introduced into the blood of an- 

 other. It seems to be closely allied to the bactericidal property 

 of serum and like the toxic and coagulative action appears to be 

 associated with the presence of a considerable amount of nuclein 

 (Castelino). The globulicidal action is to a certain extent in- 

 hibited by heating to 55° or 60'' C, while the toxic property is 

 in the main unaffected. Apart from the many questions involved 

 in the globulicidal actjon of serum, this must be especially . borne 

 in mind, that it is dangerous to introduce the blood of one genus 

 of animal into the blood-stream of an individual of another 

 genus. 



508 



