204 On the Absorption of Agglutinin by Bacteria, etc. 



only increase to a limit value but may, when this point is passed, even 

 decrease to zero when the concentration of the serum is further increased. 



2. It is impossible, from the greater or smaller size of the exponent " n " 

 in the formula C = JcB", to determine whether in the case of agglutinin we 

 have to deal with an absorption or an adsorption process, as in both cases 

 " n " may vary within nearly the same ranges. 



3. The formula C = AB", proposed by Arrhenius to express the absorption 

 of agglutinin by bacteria, as being a special example of the Guldberg and 

 Waage law of chemical mass action, does not hold good either in the case of 

 absorption of agglutinin by bacteria, or of the neutralisation of agglutinin by 

 homologous bacterial filtrate (" toxin "). 



4. The combination of agglutinin and bacteria is, therefore, not such a 

 simple process as anticipated by Arrhenius, but is very possibly complex, 

 and not improbably of the same nature as the interaction of bacterial toxins 

 and antitoxins. 



REFERENCES. 



Arrhenius, Svante. — 1. " Zur pliysikalischen Chemie der Agglutinine," ' Zeitschr. f. 

 physikal. Chem.,' vol. 4G, p. 415, 1903. 2. ' Iiuraunochemistry,' Macmillaii and Co., 

 New York, 1907. 



Arrhenius, Svante, and Madsen, Tliorvald. — 1. "Physical Chemistry applied to Toxins 

 and Antitoxins," ' Festskrif t ved ludvielsen af Staten.s Serum Institut,' Copenhagen, 

 1902. 2. " Anwendung der physikalischen Chemie auf das Studium der Toxine und 

 Antitoxine," ' Zeitschr. f. physikal. Chem.,' vol. 44, p. 7, 1903. 



Bayliss, W. M. — 1. " On some Aspects of Adsorption Phenomena, with especial Reference 

 to the Action of Electrolytes and to the Ash-constituents of Proteins," ' Biochemical 

 Journal,' vol. 1, p. 175, 190fi. 



Biltz, Wilhelm. — 1. " Ein Vcrsuch zur Deutnng der Agglutinierungsvorgiinge," ' Zeitschr. 

 f. physikal. Chem.,' vol. 48, p. 615, 1904. 



Bordet, Jules. — 1. " Le Mocanisnie de I'Agglutination," ' Annales de I'lnstit. Pasteur,' 

 vol. 13, No. 3, p. 225, 1899. 2. "Les S6runis Hemolytiqucs, leurs Antitoxines et les 

 Theories des Serum Cytolytiques," ' Annales de I'lnstit. Pasteur,' vol. 14, No. 5, p. 257, 

 1900. 



Dreyer, Georges. — 1. " On Immunity " — Contribution to a Discussion in the Section of 

 I'athology at the Annual Meeting of the l>ritish Medical Association, Oxford, J uly, 

 1904_'Brit. Med. Jouni.,' September 10, 1904. 2. "Om Anvendelso af dni-bt 

 Kultur til Widal-Reaktion," ' Hospitalstidendo,' No. 19, 1906; " Widal's Reaction 

 with Sterilised Cultures," ' Journ. of Path, and Bacteriol.,' vol. 13, p. 331, 1909. 



Dreyer, Georges, and Douglas, J. S. C. — 1. " The Velocity of Reaction in the ' Absorption ' 

 of Specific Agglutinins by Bacteria, and in the 'Adsorption' of Agglutinins, Trypsin, 

 and Sulphuric Acid by Animal Charcoal," ' lioy. Soc;. IVoc.,' B, vol. 82, j). I(i8, 1910. 



Dreyer, (JcorgcH, and Jex- Blake, A. J. — 1. "On Agglutination of Bacteria," ' I )ct Kgl. 

 Dansko Videnskabernes Selskabs Sfcrifter, 7 Ra-kko. Naturvidenakab. og niatlioni. 

 Afd.,' I, 4, 1905 ; 'Joiirn. of Path, and Bacteriol.,' vol. 11, p. 1, 190(5. 



Ehrlich, I'aul. — 1. " Ueber die Constitution des Diphtlieriegiftes," ' Dcut. Mediz. 

 Wochenschr.,' No. 38, p. 597, 1898. 



