122 



Scientific Proceedings (38). 



76 (486) 



A study of the origin of the immune bodies by the method of 

 organ transplantation. 



By ARNO B. LUCKHARDT. (By invitation.) 



\_From the Hull Physiological Laboratory of the University of 



Chicago?^ 



The interesting facts recently published by Prof. Hektoen and 

 Prof. Carlson on antibodies and their formation indicate strongly 

 that the blood takes no direct part in the fixation of antigen (goat's 

 and rat's corpuscles) or in the production of antibodies (lysins and 

 agglutinins) for these corpuscles. What tissue or tissues, if not 

 the blood, fix the antigens as early as three hours after intravenous 

 injection ? 



The organs which fix the antigens are undoubtedly also the 

 organs intimately concerned with the production of the specific 

 immune bodies for these antigens. Previous work on the origin 

 of the antibodies, in general, strongly suggests that the hemopoietic 

 organs (spleen, lymph glands, and bone marrow) are the source 

 of the immune bodies. If, therefore, the antigens are fixed in part 

 by the spleen, successful transplantation of that organ from one 

 dog immunized 24 hours previously with goat's blood into a 

 normal dog ought to cause the appearance of the specific lysins and 

 agglutinins in the blood and body fluids of the latter. The tech- 

 nical difficulties involved in the transplantation of the spleen are 

 great and so far the operation has not been performed by me 

 as successfully as has recently been reported by Dr. Carrel. 



In the meantime the following indirect method of attacking the 

 problem was chosen. The spleen of a dog immunized 24 hours 

 previously by an intravenous injection of goat's corpuscles is 

 removed aseptically and ground up by means of a sterile meat 

 grinder. The mass is suspended in warm physiological salt solution 

 and introduced into the peritoneal cavity of a normal dog. The 

 dog is bled at regular intervals for about three weeks. The sera 

 kept in the ice chest are tested under the same conditions and on 

 the same suspension of goat corpuscles at the end of that period. 



The following considerations form the basis for this procedure. 

 If the splenic tissue fixes the antigen either, or both, of two things 



