Some Properties of Staphylococcus Toxin *

It has been shown in several instances that the antibody response to antigens of certain types may be greatly modified by the incorporation of staphylococcus toxin in the immunizing material. Under such conditions of combined immunization the antibodies produced to the major antigen are increased in amount and, in some cases at least, they seem to exhibit qualitative properties not usually encountered in the antibodies consequent to straight immunization with the specific antigen. In just what manner the toxin exerts this effect is not known, nor has it been determined which fraction or fractions of the crude toxin function as the enhancing agents. Incidental to studies in which this problem is concerned certain observations have been made with reference to the production, the behavior, and the qualities of staphylococcus toxin. This note pertains to this subj ect. Several methods have been described as suited to the production of potent staphylococcus toxin, and their use has disclosed many facts relative to the conditions requisite for such production. Furthermore, by these varied methods it has been shown that the crude toxin so derived may, perhaps, be a mixture of several diverse toxic components, but as yet no convincing evidence has been presented to establish either the individuality of the various toxic fractions or their essential identity. Seemingly, there is but one point upon which all authors agree; that different staphylococcus strains vary not only in the quantity of toxin produced but also in the qualities of the toxins elaborated. However, these points are not primarily an issue in the present discussion, for in the studies here reported but a single staphylococcus strain-the so-called Wood 46 culture-has been used. Staphylococcus Wood 46 is known to be highly active in yielding a potent a-hemolysin as well as the so-called dermonecrotic and lethal toxins. That it fails to develop either the O or y lysins has been asserted,-a statement that is certainly not true in all cases in