SCIENTIFIC PROCEEDINGS. 



Abstracts of Communications. 



One hundred twenty-fourth meeting. 



Columbia University, May iy y IQ22. 

 Vice-President Jobling in the chair. 



177 (1924) 



The Hecht-Weinberg-Gradwohl reaction in syphilis. 



By L. W. FAMULENER and JULIA A. W. HEWITT. 



[From the Pathological Laboratory, St. Luke's Hospital, New York 



City.] 



A comparative study was made of the results obtained by the 

 Hecht-Weinberg-Gradwohl and a modified Wassermann tech- 

 nique in the serum diagnosis of syphilis during the routine exam- 

 ination of a general group of hospital patients. An acetone- 

 insoluble antigen, as advised by Gradwohl, was used in both 

 methods, and in addition, a cholesterinized antigen with the 

 Wassermann method. In performing the Hecht-Weinberg-Grad- 

 wohl test, the procedure as outlined by Gradwohl was closely 

 followed. The Wassermann technique was that which had given 

 satisfactory results in St. Luke's Hospital during the past few 

 years. Two series of tests were undertaken; the first series in- 

 cluded 50 cases, the second 100 cases. In each instance the 

 "hemolytic index" as defined by Gradwohl, was carefully deter- 

 mined, and his test was performed only on those sera which 

 showed an index of 4 or greater, since he states that the test 

 possesses no advantage over the Wassermann method when the 

 index is 3 or lower. The first series showed only seven (14 per 

 cent.) sera which filled that requirement. Since the erythro- 

 cytes used in this series were from an old laboratory sheep, it was 

 thought that possibly its blood cells had become more resistant 



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