696 OPSONISATION FROM A BACTERIAL POINT OF VIEW, ETC , 



In the earlier part of this research and at a time when less 

 than 100 polymorphs were enumerated a number of minor 

 experiments were made. It may be of interest to note two of 

 these. 



The effect of the addition of small quantities of certain salts 

 was tested. They were added in the proportion of one part of 

 saline solution to seven of the mixed serum and suspensions, the 

 ratio of suspensions, etc., being 3:3:1:1. 



Cocci per leucocyte. 



i. Sodium chloride, 0*1% 22 



Calcium citrate dissolved in phosphoric acid (0*05%), 01% 23 



Calcium lactate, 0*1% 18 



Calcium acetate, 0*1% 18 



Magnesium sulphate (anhydrous), 01% 21 



ii. Sodium chloride 02% in phosphoric acid (0*15%) 24 



Magnesium phosphate '2% ,, ,, ,, 25 



Calcium phosphate 0-2% ,, ,, ,, 25 



When bacteria, e.g., M. aureus, are killed by heat and tested 

 daily afterwards, the speed of intraphagocytic digestion is found 

 to increase with the time that has elapsed since their death. For 

 example, a suspension of bacteria was heated for 10 minutes at 

 80°, centrifugalised to remove the clumps, and the supernatant 

 suspension was removed. This suspension was tested upon the 

 two succeeding days. The number of bacteria ingested was 

 counted and the following numbers per leucocyte obtained. The 

 staining characteristics of the cocci showed that the lessened 

 numbers resulted in great part or entirely from a loss of staining 

 power, i.e., from the intracorpuscular digestion. 



Cocci per leucocyte. 



Day of death 23 



One day after 19 



Two days after 11 



The opsonin of antituherculous serum (Marmoreck). — In testing 

 Marmoreck's antituberculous serum, Riviere* concluded that a 

 series of daily doses will, when administered rectally, usually 

 produce a rise in the tuberculopsonic index. The rise soon 



*Brit. Med. Journ. April 13th, 1907, p.857. 



