Quantitative Measurements of the Absorption of Agglutinins by Bacteria

[摘要] Introduction. Eisenberg and Volk (1902) were the first investigators to study the absorption of agglutinins by homologous bacteria quantitatively. They showed that if an agglutinating serum in varying dilutions was treated with a constant number of homologous bacteria, the amount of agglutinin absorbed by the bacteria was not constant. In a concentrated serum the total agglutinin absorbed was greater than in the same serum diluted; on the other hand, the relative amount absorbed was less from the concentrated than from the diluted serum. Dreyer, Douglas and Walker (1909) found that when an agglutinating serum in different concentration was treated with constant numbers of bacteria, the quantity of agglutinin-units absorbed not only increased to a limit value but when this point was passed, might even decrease to zero when the concentration of the serum was further increased. Hitherto these experiments have been accepted as fundamental in discussions of the union between agglutinins and bacteria.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）