Abstract
The interesting facts recently published by Prof. Hektoen and Prof. Carlson on antibodies and their formation indicate strongly that the blood takes no direct part in the fixation of antigen (goat's and rat's corpuscles) or in the production of antibodies (lysins and agglutinins) for these corpuscles. What tissue or tissues, if not the blood, fix the antigens as early as three hours after intravenous injection?
The organs which fix the antigens are undoubtedly also the organs intimately concerned with the production of the specific immune bodies for these antigens. Previous work on the origin of the antibodies, in general, strongly suggests that the hemopoietic organs (spleen, lymph glands, and bone marrow) are the source of the immune bodies. If, therefore, the antigens are fixed in part by the spleen, successful transplantation of that organ from one dog immunized 24 hours previously with goat's blood into a normal dog ought to cause the appearance of the specific lysins and agglutinins in the blood and body fluids of the latter. The technical difficulties involved in the transplantation of the spleen are great and so far the operation has not been performed by me as successfully as has recently been reported by Dr. Carrel.
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