American journal of physiology . y of immunity the serum of the control dogs was at least four times as active as the serum of the splenectomized animals. In many of the individual experiments the height of the immuniza-tion was reached by the nor-mal dogs several days earlierthan by the asplenic dogs(see Fig. 3. Also hemagglu-tinins of Dogs 9 and 10, andthe opsonins of Dogs 15 and16).These results, which show Figure 6. — Composite hemopsonin curve of 9 conclusively that normalcontrol and 10 asplenic dogs, showing differences animals producCspecific he-in rate of formation of antibodies and in
American journal of physiology . y of immunity the serum of the control dogs was at least four times as active as the serum of the splenectomized animals. In many of the individual experiments the height of the immuniza-tion was reached by the nor-mal dogs several days earlierthan by the asplenic dogs(see Fig. 3. Also hemagglu-tinins of Dogs 9 and 10, andthe opsonins of Dogs 15 and16).These results, which show Figure 6. — Composite hemopsonin curve of 9 conclusively that normalcontrol and 10 asplenic dogs, showing differences animals producCspecific he-in rate of formation of antibodies and in ultimate niolvsins hemae2lutinins and hemopsonins more rap-idly and in greater concentra-tion than the corresponding splenectomized animals, admit of butone interpretation, namely, that the spleen takes a very active part inthe elaboration of these particular immune bodies. The possibilitythat normally in active immunity the spleen stimulates the antibody- Diln Days after 6 7 8 9 10 11121314 15 IC 17 18 1920 21. concentration reached. = 9 control dogs = 10 asplenic dogs. 272 Arno B. Luckhardt and Frank C. Becht. producing organs to activity by means of some internal secretionor hormone does not merit serious consideration, since we haveshown that the spleen fixes antigen. We are not, however, justified in attributing to the spleen the samefunction when we consider bacterial antigens and their specific anti-bodies. If the spleen destroys erythrocytes in the normal intact ani-mal, we could have reasoned a priori that it would also destroy thoseforeign corpuscles which the experimenter chose to inject into theblood stream. But, being foreign to the organism, the spleen wouldreact towards this foreign corpuscle (corpuscular antigen) by theoverproduction of specific destructive agents — the antibodies inquestion. The evidence presented in this paper supports this hypothe-sis. We have, however, no well-founded reasons for supposing thatthe spleen reacts in like ma
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