FORMATION OF DEFENSIVE FERMENTS
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of a 10 per cent. gelatine-peptone solution, and 2.5 c.c. of normal salt solution (see fig. 2).
Fig. 2.
(3) The dog in this experiment was given on October 18, 3 c.c. of a 10 per cent. silk-peptone solution by subcutaneous injection. On October 21 blood was taken. The serum split up both silk-peptone (curve a in fig. 3), and gelatine (curve c in fig. 3). At a temperature of 60°C. the serum became inactive (curve b in fig. 3).
We may point out here that we thought it possible, at first, that the phenomena observed by us might have some connection with what is called anaphylaxy, or supersensibility.[1] By this we understand the
- ↑ Hermann Pfeiffer, of Graz, at about the same time as, and independently of, ourselves, has demonstrated the existence of proteolytic ferments in the blood plasma of sensitized animals, after we had already established the fact of the appearance of peptolytic ferments subsequent to the introduction into the blood of disharmonious derivatives of albumen, and had in this way systematically treated the whole problem. The first experiments were made with albumen. They have since been abandoned, because the results of an alteration in rotation seemed particularly ambiguous in cases where the serum of animals, treated previously with albumen, was brought into contact with albumen or peptone. For this reason polypeptides are preferable for reactions on ferments, as being compounds whose exact structure is known to us.
