2 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. VIII, No. i 
the diagnosis of diseases of animals, such as glanders, dourine, contagious 
abortion, Malta fever, etc., seemed to warrant further investigations for 
establishing the value of the test in tuberculosis, especially since the 
published results on similar investigations are very contradictory. 
HISTORICAL RlSSUMlt 
It is well known that the first practical application of the Bordet- 
Gengou (6) 1 reaction was undertaken by Widal and Lesourd (40), who 
showed that antibodies of typhoid infections may be established much 
earlier in the serum of the patient by means of the complement fixation 
than with the agglutination method. Notwithstanding these clinical 
observations and the great possibilities for the Bordet-Gengou reaction, 
it was neglected for years until it was again taken up by Moreschi (29). 
This theoretical conception as to the reaction was not acceptable, espe¬ 
cially since the investigations of Wassermann (37), Bruck (9), Lief- 
mann (25), and Citron (12) showed, and later Moreschi himself recog¬ 
nized, that his former views could not be supported by the results of the 
subsequent investigations. According to Moreschi’s theory the Bordet- 
Gengou reaction represented a precipitation reaction, and the formed 
precipitin was mechanically carried down by the complement. When he 
later observed, that at times even strongly precipitating serums failed to 
give the reaction, he recognized the unsoundness of his theory. 
Neisser and Sachs (31) also undertook investigations with the Bordet- 
Gengou reaction, endeavoring to employ it for the differentiation of 
albumens. Since their findings were irregular and contradictory, 
Wassermann carried on investigations to establish whether it would be 
possible to differentiate dissolved bacterial albumens with the aid of the 
test. Wassermann further aimed to prove that before the state of 
antibody production there are probably other intermediate products in 
the circulation which might be detected by means of complement fixa¬ 
tion as applied by Neisser and Sachs for the differentiation of albumens. 
Wassermann failed to demonstrate the presence of such intermediate 
bodies; and in collaboration with Bruck (37) he directed his attention 
toward establishing the presence of an antigen in diseased organs, using 
lungs, glands, and other diseased tissues affected with tuberculosis. 
Extracts of these organs were prepared and used against serums of tuber¬ 
culous individuals, with the result that such serums did not fix the com¬ 
plement unless the patient had been treated with tuberculin for a certain 
period. The reaction obtained was due to the formation of antibodies 
as a result of the injection of tuberculin. Wassermann called these 
antibodies “ antituberculin.” Citron (12), on the other hand, named them 
“ anti tuberculin amboceptors.” 
The findings of Wassermann and Bruck were questioned by various 
investigators. Weil and Nakayama (38) and Morgenroth and Rabino- 
1 Reference is made by number to “Literature cited,” p. 18-30. 
