Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 May 2009
Following the subcutaneous injection of typhoid vaccine into rabbits the average antibody response was estimated from day to day, and found to vary for agglutination, bactericidal action, phagocytosis (including tropins), “precipitation” and probably for complement-fixation according to the dose of vaccine.
As estimated by the maximal value reached by the serum the response increases with increasing dose in nearly all cases. This increase becomes relatively less and less as the dose increases, and its progress suggests that with a sufficiently large dose a limiting-value might be reached, which if not actually a true limit would be practically one.
The observed relationship between dose and effect is such as to suggest that the combination of antigen and reacting-cell takes place in accordance with the rules governing adsorption processes; but this does not hold for the response in bactericidal power.
With increasing vaccine-dose the date at which the maximal value is reached gets later for the various antibodies, with again exception of the bactericidal power.
The precipitation observed differs from the usual precipitation reaction and is perhaps really an agglutination-phenomenon.
Phagocytosis was observed in three ways, and the bearing of the results on the mechanism of the action of the antibody concerned is considered; and the relationship between the bactericidal and other antibodies is also discussed.