THE DISTRIBUTION IN THE BLOOD AND LYMPH OF PNEUMOCOCCUS TYPE III INJECTED INTRAVENOUSLY IN RABBITS, AND THE EFFECT OF TREATMENT WITH SPECIFIC ANTISERUM ON THE INFECTION OF THE LYMPH

Abstract

Experiments are described which show that in rabbits infected intravenously with virulent Type III pneumococci, these organisms are found not only in the thoracic duct lymph, as previously reported, but also in lymph from the cervical and leg lymphatics. The nonmotile bacteria must have crossed both vascular and lymphatic endothelium in reaching the lymph. Intracellular transportation by phagocytes is apparently not the means by which this is effected. The intravenous and intraperitoneal injection of large amounts of homologous type-specific antibody fails even after many hours to terminate or permanently reduce the pneumococcal infection of the lymph. The failure of antiserum to sterilize the lymph is discussed.