Secretions Upon the Secretion of Epinephrin. 95 



ments registered. It was found that the injection of iodothyrin, 

 parathyroid, infundibulin, thymus and pineal caused a distinct 

 fall in tonus and inhibition of rhythmic contractions, showing 

 the presence of epinephrin beyond normal in the blood. Normal 

 blood of the cat never produces this effect, but stimulates 

 tonus and rhythmic contraction. We have been careful to 

 exclude albumen in these glandular tests, as the foreign albumen 

 in the antithyroid serum of Mobius and in the diphtheritic anti- 

 toxic serum in 2 drop doses increases the amount of epinephrin in 

 the blood. As cholin also produces an epinephrin reaction we 

 can only be certain that iodothyrin and infundibulin stimulate 

 the adrenals. 



69 (678) 



Standardization of the Wassermann reaction. Attempts to 

 prepare a standard antigen and antibody. 



By J. G. FITZGERALD and J. B. LEATHES. 



[From the Department of Pathological Chemistry, Univ. of Toronto, 

 and Department of Pathology and Bacteriology, Univ. of 

 California.] 



For some time past we have endeavored to determine more 

 exactly the nature of the Wassermann reaction. This led us first 

 to an investigation of the antigen. In this connection Noguchi, 

 and we ourselves, have shown the importance of the substances 

 contained in the acetone precipitate. Incidentally, we have found 

 that an antigen containing these substances (lipoids) is available 

 for use after a period of two years. The exact steps in the pro- 

 duction of this antigen differ in certain details from methods here- 

 tofore published. The method will appear, shortly, elsewhere. 

 The next step in the work was an effort to produce an antibody 

 to this relatively stable antigen. Three attempts have been made 

 and all were unsuccessful. No evidence of antibody formation 

 could be shown by means of the reaction of fixation or the precipitin 

 reaction. These lipoid substances were found not to act as antigens. 



Had the production of an antibody been possible, the stand- 

 ardization of the Wassermann reaction could have been accom- 

 plished. This was the ultimate object of the work. No method 



