512 The Chemical Dynamics of Serum Reactions. 
2. Complement action is lytic; amboceptoral action is primarily poly- 
merising, or, as the case may be, agglutinative ; and, secondarily, catalytic to 
complement. - ; 
3. The relation of these substances is expressed by the law of mass 
LEE) Sa2)\—(L-2) 
at xe te ¥ Co tee 
4, When the substance acted upon is in sufficient quantity, this expression 
action, in the form 
describes all seruin reactions, viz., hemolysis, bacteriolysis, opsonin and 
stimulin reactions, agglutination, precipitation and toxin action. 
5. Toxins are compound and consist of amboceptor and complement. 
[ Note.—The idea that amboceptor and complement were opposed in their 
actions has been held: by Captain W. F. Harvey and myself for many 
years. We joined in many experiments to prove our idea. It was only 
recently that I determined to investigate diversion phenomena from a 
mathematical point of view. I did so, and found, at the end of wy work, 
that I had again to have recourse to this same view of opposed action, a 
result which I had not foreseen. Captain Harvey and I were in the habit 
of calling amboceptors polymerins and complement /ysin, and I know of no 
better names to describe their properties. Amboceptoral action is always, 
when acting alone, a polymerising one, whereas agglutination may, or may 
not, occur in the course of polymerisation. Agglutination is a molar, 
whereas polymerisation is a molecular phenomenon. Indeed, as has been 
shown by Muir, reduction of polymerisation by complement may cause 
agelutination. | 
I have also to express my thanks to Major Cornwall and Dr. Kesava 
Pai, the Director and Assistant Surgeon of this laboratory—the Pasteur 
Institute of Southern India. — 
