The dessication of serum and other protein solutions : with special reference to the reagents used in the Wassermann Reaction / by P. Hartley, A.J. Eagleton, and C.C. Okell.

  • Hartley, Percival Horton-Smith, Sir, 1867-
Date:
[1923?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The dessication of serum and other protein solutions : with special reference to the reagents used in the Wassermann Reaction / by P. Hartley, A.J. Eagleton, and C.C. Okell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    THE DESICCATION OF SERUM AND OTHER PROTEIN SOLUTIONS, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE REAGENTS USED IN THE WASSERMANN REACTION.* By P. Hartley, A. J. Eagleton, and C. C. Okell. From the Wellcome Physiological Research Laboratories, Herne Hill, London. Any method for the desiccation of serum, or other solutions containing substances of interest to the bacteriologist, must fulfil at least two conditions: the dried product must be soluble in water or normal saline, and the process must he one which inflicts little or no damage on the specific substances present in the original serum. The dried product, if required ultimately for injection into the human subject, should be sterile. If, however, the material is required for use in the laboratory for the study of serological reactions, then sterility, though desirable, is not absolutely essential. One of the principal objects of the experiments described in this paper was the preparation of the serum reagents used in the Wassermann reaction in a stable form suitable for transport to isolated workers at home and abroad, where the difficulties of obtaining and preserving these substances are very great. It has been necessary to dry, at one operation, large quantities of serum; the method adopted has proved to be of great practical use and accordingly a description of the apparatus is given for the information of those workers who, though not perhaps specially interested in the reagents studied by us, may desire to desiccate large quantities of other fluids. This operation may be carried out in a variety of ways; large desiccators may be . used, warm air may be fanned over thin layers of serum in large pans, or the proteins may be precipitated by means of ice-cold alcohol. (Hardy and Gardiner, 1910 8). The method described below was evolved during an attempt made by one of us (P. H.) in 1909 to prepare large quantities of anti-rinderpest serum in the dry condition. The method described by Martin (1896 10) was tried but the results were not entirely satisfactory, failure being due to the choking of the filter candles used. This difficulty was overcome by substituting for the filter candle an ordinary separating funnel connected to a tube drawn out to a fine capillary. In other respects * Received September 9, 1922. The substance of this paper was communi¬ cated to the meeting of the Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland, on July 14, 1922.