THE PATHOGENIC AGENT IN NORMAL HUMAN BONE MARROW: ITS NATURE AND RELATIONSHIP TO THE LYMPHADENOMA AGENT OF GORDON

Abstract

In a previous paper1 it was shown that when normal human bone marrow is injected intrathecally in rabbits these animals develop a progressive and fatal disturbance of the nervous system, paralysis of the hind legs being a characteristic feature of the late stages. It was recognized that the clinical appearances presented by these rabbits resembled those which M. H. ^Gordon2 had already found in rabbits injected intracerebrally with material* derived from human cases of lymphaden'oma, but the relationship of the two pathogenic agents was not more closely deter mined. The nature of the agent contained in normal human bone marrow?whether it is a living or a non living thing?was also left in doubt. The primary purpose of the present paper is to describe experiments directed towards the solution of these two problems. Right at the outset I must acknowledge deep indebted ness to Dr. Gordon. To his efforts and kindness I owe all the samples of human bone marrow and viscera used in the series of experiments to be described. I have called these human tissues normal? in the present paper. This is because I am satisfied they have represented the con ditions present in normal human beings. Actually the specimens have been obtained post mortem from a large variety of pathological conditions and from cases of accidental death.