Serology of nervous and mental diseases / by D. M. Kaplan.

  • Kaplan, David Michael, 1876-
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Serology of nervous and mental diseases / by D. M. Kaplan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    kovic. These results make it probable that the phenomenon of complement deviation is due to a change in the physico- chemical relationship of a molecule through the addition of another substance, a view also shared by Bordet and Gay in their conception of hemolysis. If this is really so, then the interesting work of Seligmann finds an explanation—i. e., that the reaction is a physico- chemical change of a colloid molecule when another sub- stance (Reagin, Citron) is introduced. This last inves- tigator obtained complement deviation with a colloid iron hydroxid solution, with emulsions of mastic, with gelatin, etc. For the purposes of immunodiagnosis it suffices to know that whatever the colloid-like antigen may be, it is specifically influenced by homologous immune sera, and hence is very useful for the detection of unknown antibodies (Reagines). At present the application of the phenomenon of comple- ment deviation as a serodiagnostic method for the detec- tion of syphilis receives more attention than for any other infectious disease, especially since the work of Citron estab- lished its significance for lues in general; Wassermann and Plant, as well as Marie and Levaditi, for the presence of complement deviating substances in the cerebrospinal fluids of general paretics. Technic of Blood-taking.—^This procedure, in the hands of an expert, is accomplished in not more than one or two minutes from the beginning of sterilization to the finished bandaged, punctured arm. One who has no experience, however, will frequently lose much time and, in the end, have secured no blood for analysis, and, besides, the patient will have a bruised and aching arm. For these reasons it has been deemed well to describe the technic fuUy, and show how an apparently difficult puncture can be easily and success- fully made. Special apparatus are unnecessary, and the method does not require a special procedure; the essential points to know are how to handle a vein and to become acquainted with the peculiarities of veins in general. The area of the puncture is first inspected; in my practice I prefer to use the left arm, for the simple reason that the vein selected