Mechanism of Action of Anti-pneumococcic Serum. 149 



effect of activity of the alimentary apparatus upon the excretion 

 of endogenous uric acid. To this end a comparison was made of 

 the hourly uric acid excretion during a fasting condition and that 

 when the digestive glands had been stimulated in various ways. 

 The succagogues employed were pure nutrients — protein, fat and 

 carbohydrate and combinations of these — pilocarpine and alcohol. 

 In addition the effect of the laxatives phenolphthalein, castor oil 

 and Epsom salt was investigated. These may act either by 

 increasing peristalsis or the secretion of water into the intestine, 

 or both, according to the laxative employed and the amount. The 

 action of atropine under conditions where a secretion of digestive 

 juices would be expected — after the ingestion of food — was studied 

 and an experiment was carried out to obtain some light on the 

 role of muscular work in the excretion of uric acid. 



The results of the investigation show that activity of the 

 digestive glands, initiated by the foods mentioned or pilocarpine, 

 is attended by an augmented excretion of uric acid. The laxatives 

 showed no influence on the excretion of uric acid even when agar 

 agar was taken previously for the purpose of increasing the me- 

 chanical work of the intestine. Neither did alcohol or muscular 

 exercise. Atropine inhibited the rise which normally follows the 

 ingestion of the food-stuffs taken subsequent to the atropine. 



90 (1022) 



The mechanism of the action of anti-pneumococcic serum. 



By Carroll G. Bull, M.D. 



[From the Laboratories of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical 



Research.] 



A year ago it was observed that an intravenous injection of a 

 small amount (0.2 c.c.) of immune serum causes the disappearance, 

 within ten minutes' time, of the bacteria from the blood of a 

 rabbit having a pneumococcic septicaemia. It was decided to 

 investigate the above phenomenon in the hope of ascertaining, 

 if possible, the manner of action of anti-pneumococcic serum. 



In the light of our results concerning the behavior of typhoid 

 bacilli in the circulation of normal rabbits, we believed it possible 



