Quantitative Studies on the Action of Compound Hemolysins

Abstract

Summary New experimental material was presented in graphical form. The shape of the curves which are characteristic of the hemolytic reaction, their zones and the systems which they form were discussed in a qualitative way. One of the zones was proven to be due to the presence of amboceptor in the complement. Regarding another zone the thesis was proposed that it is due to the presence of complement in the amboceptor which would imply that heat inactivation, at least as ordinarily conducted, does not destroy all the complement contained in the amboceptor before inactivation. A third zone was considered as representing the reaction between amboceptor and complement uncontaminated by side reactions. It was shown that this zone is utilized in the Wassermann test. It was also shown that the shape of the characteristics within this zone does not vary with the specimen of amboceptor and complement serum. Cross-section curves show the typical S-shape observed by Manwaring. This shape was found to be due to the varying resistance of the individual corpuscles towards lysis. The idea advanced in the second part of this paper that the shape of the characteristic curves depends only on amboceptor and complement serum but not on the concentration and character of the blood corpuscles was supported by experimental evidence.