24
Anaphylaxis or Serum Sickness in Cattle
[VOL. XVIII, PART 1,
TABLE II—contd.
Injections:
Intervals (days)
between injections.
Hill-bull 278 . .
„
300
. .
„ 271 . .
„
272 .
.
„
293 . .
„ 298 . .
1
B. Q. Vaccine
5 c.c.—
5 c.c.—
5 c.c.—
5 c.c —
5 c.c.—
5 c.c.—
2
B. Q. Vaccine
20
5 c.c.—
5 c.c.—
5 c.c.—
5 c.c.—
5 c.c.—
5 c.c.—
3
B. Q. Vaccine
20
5 c.c.+
5 c.c.++
5 c.c. +
5 c.c.+ +
5 c.c.+
5 c.c.+
4
B. Q. Serum
20
25 c.c.—
25 c.c.—
25 c.c.—
25 c.c.—
25 c.c.—
25 c.c.—
5
B. Q. Serum
20
25 c.c—
25 c.c.—
25 c.c.—
25 c.c.—
25 c.c.—
25 c.c.—
6
Buff. Serum
35
50 c.c.—
50 c.c.—
50 c.c.—
50 c.c.—
50 c.c.—
50 c.c.—
Note.—Two other bulls in this series gave slight oedema of the eyelids 2 hours after injection 6
Serum injections*
Cross-bred calf 130 . . . . .
„ 132 . . . . .
„ 393
.
.
.
.
127 . . . . .
123 . . . . .
1
B. Q.
20 c.c.—
20 c.c.—
20 c.c.—
20 c.c.—
20 c.c.—
2
B. Q.
20 c.c.—
20 c.c.—
20 c.c.—
20 c.c.—
20 c.c.—
3
B. Q.
20 c.c.+ +
20 c.c.+ + +
20 c.c.++
20 c.c. + +
20 c.c.+
*Intervals between injections:—40 days, with numbers 130, 132 and 393 and 20 days with numbers 127 and 123
Notes 1 *B.Q.=blackquarter serum
R=rinderpest serum
P=pasteurellosis serum (haemorrhagic
septicaemia)
Ax=Anthrax
Buff. = healthy buffalo serum
H. bull =healthy hill-bull
2.
—= no reaction
+ = very slight reaction, viz. few urticarial eruptions
only
++ =mild reaction, viz., urticaria, oedema of anus,
perineum and C. but no obvious systemic
effects
+++ = relatively severe shock.
3. Table shows the number of inoculation, dose of serum or vaccine, and result
In most of the work the time interval between injections was fixed at 20 to 40 days. In order
to see if a response would be obtained if the interval was shorter than 20 days, 10 hill-bulls were
given three injections of 15 c.c. of blackquarter serum at seven-day intervals. As usual, the first two
injections produced no response. After the third injection, seven of the 10 reacted mildly. Twenty
days later, the 10 animals were again injected with 15 c.c. blackquarter serum, when two of the
original reactors again responded this time severely.
Desensitizaiion. It will be noted from Table II that animals are sometimes rendered insensitive
by the one reaction so that later they do not respond to substantial amounts of antigen. This state
of desensitation is well known to workers on the subject of anaphylaxis and it is said to be transient.
Cattle for instance are said to remain insensitive to the shock for about three months, after which
sensitivity gradually returns. From Table II however it can be seen that reacting animals sometimes
responded to a fresh injection of antigen after 20 days and in many cases after 40 days.
An experiment was set up to throw more light on the duration of the desensitized state. Twelve
hill-bulls which had reacted were selected and divided into three groups of four each. The animals
in these groups were each reinjected twice with blackquarter serum: group I after 7 and 16 days,
group II after 10 and 18 days, and group III after 14 and 20 days. The only further reactor was a
bull of group I which gave mild reactions to both injections. This suggests that it is only the excep-
tional animal which will visibly respond to an antigen injected as early as a week after a previous
reaction.