STUDIES OF THE COMPLEMENT FIXATION REACTION IN RABIES

In 1907, Heller and Tomarkin first reported that the complement fixation reaction gave negative result when tested with the sera of rabbits immunized against rabies fixed virus in the presence of antigens prepared from rabic brains. Friedberger (1907), using the sera of immunized and of rabid animals, was unable to demonstrate any specific fixation. The immune serum gave no more fixation than did the normal serum. Regarding the complement fixation reaction, negative observations were also recorded by Centanni (1908), Donati & Satta (1908), Baroni, Ciuca & JonescuMihaiesti (1908), and recently also by Fei-Fang Tang & Castaneda and by Schultz, Bullock & Brewer (1928). Notwithstanding these negative reports some positive results were obtained by a number of other investigators. Nedrigailoff & Sawtschenko (1911) were able to demonstrate specific fixation with the serum of horse immunized against fixed virus in the presence of antigens of salivary gland from a rabid dog or from a man succumbed to rabies. Zell (1913), testing the serum of street virus-infected animals in the presence of salivary