CHEMICAL INVESTIGATIONS ON THE ACTIVE PRINCIPLES OF THE PHENOMENON OF LOCAL SKIN REACTIVITY TO BACTERIAL FILTRATES : II. PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES

Several physicochemical properties of the active principles of the phenomenon of local skin reactivity to bacterial filtrates have been investigated. Ultrafiltration through Zsigmondy filters of graded porosities has shown that the active substances are retained by membranes finer than 100 to 120 seconds, whereas coarser ones readily permit their passage. The average porosity of this filtration end-point represents a particle size of about 50 to 100 mµ. When fractionally precipitated with ammonium sulfate, most of the activity of a culture filtrate was concentrated in the two-thirds saturated portion. Isoelectric properties were studied by means of capillary analysis and cataphoresis. At pH 3.0 and below, the substances suspended in the culture filtrates migrated to the cathode; activity in this chamber, however, could not be demonstrated. At pH 4.0 and above, reversal to the anode occurred, as the active materials became negatively charged and readily migrated to this chamber. The isoelectric point, therefore, was considered to be between pH 3.0 and 4.0. Preliminary experiments on adsorption, extraction, and pH stability have been described.