In work already reported (1) (2) it has been shown that formaldehyde added in the proper concentration to diluted Wassermann antigen has a uniformly constant effect in enhancing the capacity of the system to fix complement. Under such conditions not only is the total amount of complement to be fixed very definitely increased, but the velocity at which the fixation takes place is markedly accelerated. These effects can not be demonstrated through any action of the formaldehyde upon the antigen, the reagin, or the complement alone, but are only manifest when the formaldehyde operates upon the entire antigen-reagin-complement complex and even here a period of incubation is essential. Wassermann systems so enhanced in activity lose none of their apparent specificity and if quantitative relationships are properly adjusted there is no evidence that false reactions take place.With the antigen-reagin complex as used in the Wassermann system it seemed to be impossible to demonstrate the mechanism through which the formaldehyde acted.
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