Antigenic Properties of Ragweed Pollen. 237 



pressure in uncomplicated diabetes is normal or slightly under 

 normal. In every case of elevated blood pressure in this series I 

 found complications such as aortitis, arteriosclerosis, nephritis, 

 cardiac hypertrophy and aortic endocarditis. In conditions of 

 acidosis the blood pressure falls. The presence or absence of 

 hyperglycemia had no effect on the blood pressure. 



118 (1700) 



The antigenic properties of ragweed pollen. 



By JULIA T. PARKER. 



[From the Department of Bacteriology, College of Physicians and 

 Surgeons, Columbia University.] 



Although most of the evidence would lead one to believe that 

 pollens are antigenic, there are a few experimenters who still 

 hold to a contrary opinion because they have been unable to 

 produce antibodies to pollens. The question is of interest in its 

 relation to hay fever. If pollens are antigenic, the anaphylactic 

 nature of hay fever may be regarded as at least a possible ex- 

 planation of the phenomenon. As pollens contain protein, al- 

 though in small amounts, it would naturally be assumed that 

 when sufficiently large quantities of pollen have been injected and 

 delicate enough tests performed, antibodies could be shown to 

 be present- 



Although we have only two experiments to report, our results 

 are so convincing that we feel that a definite conclusion is justi- 

 fiable. These results were obtained by testing the isolated uteri 

 of sensitized guinea pigs by the Dale Method. 



Experiment I. 



Three female guinea pigs were sensitized with pollen extract 

 prepared as follows: 500 mg. of ground Mulford high ragweed 

 pollen were shaken in a bottle in 200 c.c. of 0.04 per cent. NaOH in 

 physiological salt solution for at least an hour on three successive 

 days. This material was centrifugalized and the clear supernatant 

 fluid, which gave the Millon and zanthroproteic protein tests, 

 was injected intraperitoneal^ into the three guinea pigs. 70 c.c. 



