state of our present knowledge of the character of hay-cold in the following hypo- 
thesis: Apparently, predisposition to hay-fever has its cause in the presence of relati- 
vely small quantities of an amboceptor which is specific for pollen-albumin. Under 
the influence of this amboceptor the pollen-albumin which comes into contact with 
the mucous membrane is first decomposed by the complement into a poisonous by- 
product, from which, as the decomposing action proceeds, non-poisonous substances 
are formed. Given a sufficient excess of amboceptor, in other words, in the case of 
successful administration of serum, this decomposition-process is completed so rapidly 
that the poisonous intermediate product is incapable of exerting its effect. At the 
end of this part of his treatise, Prausnitz contradicts Weichardt’s conception of the 
antiferment-like, arresting action of specific bodies, which according to him (Weichardt) 
are present in normal serum, and which, it is claimed, prevent the cytolysin of anti- 
toxic serum of which he assumes the existence from developing its powers. Weichardt 
uses this theory to explain the protective action of the antitoxic serum, the existence of 
which he, too, confirms; but this protective action, it is said, can be set up just as 
readily, if not more so, when normal serum is used which has been prepared after 
feeding animals on flowering grass. In view of the secrecy which has thus far been 
observed in the preparation of this article, Prausnitz is disinclined to express an 
Opinion as to the correctness of this assumption; he has however been unable to 
confirm the assertion that in normal serum, prepared by the above-described method, 
antibodies against pollen-toxin have been formed, inasmuch as these should have been 
found on testing in the patient’s eye. It was ascertained on several occasions that 
this preparation was incapable of neutralising in vitro the action of the pollen-toxin or 
of curing hay-fever. 
With regard to the clinical employment of hay-fever serum, the author expresses 
the opinion that it must chiefly be used as a prophylactic. The remedy should be 
applied in one of its three existing forms as early in the morning as possible, during 
the period when the patient is free from attacks, and immediately after he has risen. 
it should also be given several times subsequently in the course of the day, always 
prior to the expected attack or to a prearranged sojourn in the open air or at other © 
places where there is danger from pollen (railway-journeys are particularly feared by 
hay-fever patients). The author also lays particular stress upon the avoidance of air 
charged with pollen, by such measures as the non-admittance into the patient’s rooms 
of plants containing dangerous pollen, such as lilies-of-the-valley, asters, etc., the 
closing of windows, especially at night, when all powers of resistance are diminished 
and the organism is more or less unprotected. When an attack has actually declared 
itself, its suppression or relief by means of serum is much impeded by the irritation 
of the mucous membrane and the presence of secreted matter. Owing to the sensit- 
iveness of the membranes not too large a dose of serum should be given at a time; 
it is preferable to give smaller, but more frequent, doses. Where these instructions 
are carefully observed a material improvement, and not infrequently a complete cure 
and removal of the disease is achieved with serum in the majority of cases, even 
when in its initial stages the treatment appears to be a failure, — a circumstance 
which is usually traceable to some error or other in the application of the remedy. 
On occasion the favourable course of improvement and cure of the disease by 
the Pollantin-treatment was disturbed by the circumstance that in isolated cases 
symptoms of hay-fever declared themselves, which apparently resulted in an aggravation 
of the malady instead of in the hoped-for relief. But in almost all cases which were 
found to be amenable to the treatment it could be shown that these exceptions were 
8* 
CHEMICAL PREPARATIONS AND DRUGS. 115 
