The principles and technique of the Wassermann Reaction and its modifications / Howard Fox.

  • Fox, Howard, 1873-1947.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The principles and technique of the Wassermann Reaction and its modifications / Howard Fox. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    creased. The rabbit is now said to be immunized against sheep’s corpuscles. By this we mean that a certain substance has been artificially formed in the rabbit serum to which the name of hemolytic amboceptor,* or immune body, has been given. Heating to 56° C. for a half-hour does not destroy this substance, therefore it is said to be thermo- stabile. Hemolysis depends not only upon this he- molytic amboceptor, but also upon another sub- stance called complement, which is present in all normal fresh sera, and which is destroyed by heat- ing to 56° C. for a half hour. It is said to be ther- molabile. The three substances, corpuscles -f- hemo- lytic amboceptor -f- complement, constitute what is called a hemolytic system, and hemolysis can take place only when all three are present. Closely analogous to a hemolytic system is what may be termed a “bacteriolytic system,” consisting of (1) a bacterium, corresponding to the corpuscles in the hemolytic system, (2) a bacteriolytic ambo- ceptor (or antibody) corresponding to the hemo- lytic amboceptor, and (3) complement, similar in both systems. Before proceeding to discuss this so- called bacteriolytic system, it is necessary to explain the terms antigen and antibody. An antigen is any substance (bacteria, corpuscles, body cells, etc.) which, when introduced into an animal, is followed by the formation of antibodies. The sheep’s cor- puscles in the case of the hemolytic system and the bacteria in that of the bacteriolytic system are ex- amples of antigen. The substances formed by their entrance into the animal are antibodies or ambocep- *The term amboceptor means that this substance has an affinity on the one hand for corpuscles, and on the other hand for complement. The complement is so called be- cause it completes the action of the amboceptor.