40 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ III, I
A large amount of literature has accumulated on the subject of changes in
serum proteins in animals undergoing immunisation or actually passing through
an infection. Langstein and Mayer [ 1904 ] were among the first to show that in
rabbits immunised against typhoid, pneumococcus, streptococcus, dysentery,
cholera, and swine erysipelas, the serum globulin rose while the albumin diminished.
In the following year it was observed by Mayer [ 1905 ] that the serum of dogs
infected with Trypanosomes showed a similar globulin rise, but the total protein
was not markedly affected. Vadala [ 1907 ] found a remarkable alteration from
the normal in the albumin-globulin ratio of serum proteins, with slight changes in
the total protein, in cases of ankylostomiasis. Sisto [1907 ] studied the variation
in the protein content of the serum in different pathological conditions by the
refractometric method, and found a decrease of total protein in fever, oedema,
diuresis, marasmus, and after a prolonged fluid diet, but could not establish any
relationship between the protein-content of the serum and the disease. Epstein
[ 1912 ] in a long series of observations on serum-protein variations in certain
diseases, noticed a rise in the globulin content of the serum in diseases such as
cardiac disease, pneumonia, emphysema, polycythemia, diabetes mellitus, and
parenchymatous nephritis, while a decrease or a normal value for the globulins
was observed in tuberculosis and diabetes insipidus. The total protein was found
to be normal or fell far below normal in some cases. Hartley (loc. cit.) from his
experiments on variations serum-proteins during an attack of rinderpest observed
an increase in the percentage amounts of albumin, with a decrease in those of
globulin, and of euglobulin or proteins insoluble in saturated common salt solution,
in the sera of Hill bulls in which the disease had a fatal termination. There was a
decrease in the total heat-coagulable protein but no change was observed in the
composition of the serum-protein during the first five days after inoculation with
rinderpest virus. Much work has been done on the variation of serum-proteins
of animals during immunisation with diphtheria toxin, and among the early
workers Seng [ 1899 ] observed a rise in the globulin fraction of the serum-protein
of animals immunised against diphtheria. A systematic study of the serum-
proteins at different stages of immunisation against diphtheria toxin was made by
Hiss and Atkinson [ 1901 ] and later by Joachim [ 1902 ]. A rise in the globulin
fraction of the serum-proteins at the expense of the albumin was observed by these
authors, but contrary to what had previously been noted by Butjagin [ 1902 ], and
Szentagh and Wellmann [ 1898 ], Joachim [ 1902 ] found no essential increase of the
total protein, while the rise of the globulin affected solely the euglobulin fraction
which contained none of the antitoxin. Ledmgham's [1909 ] results with regard to
changes in serum-proteins in horses and goats during immunisation with diph-
theria toxin are in more or less agreement with those recorded by Joachim (loc, cit.)