De l'anaphylaxie ou sensibilite croissante des organismes... 33pp., 4to. Autograph manuscript signed.
Publisher Information: Paris: 1911.
33-Page Autograph Manuscript on Anaphylaxis by Nobel Prize Winning Immunologist
Richet, Charles (1850-1935). De l'anaphylaxie ou sensibilite croissante des organismes des doses successives de poison. Autograph manuscript signed, 33 numbered loose leaves, prepared for the printer with numerous erasures and corrections. [Paris, probably before 1911.]. 210 x 157 mm. Light horizontal crease where previously folded, minor soiling, rust-marks from paper clip on first and last leaves. Very good. Preserved in a cloth folder.
Richet, together with his colleague Paul Portier, discovered the phenomenon of anaphylaxis in 1902, while researching the toxins produced by the Portuguese man-of-war and sea anenome. In an attempt to convey immunity and determine experimentally the parameters of toxicity of these poisons, Richer and Portier injected dogs with doses too small to be dangerous. However, they discovered that second doses of the poison caused immediate death in some of their experimental animals, leading them to conclude that the poison had an effect exactly opposite to the immunizing properties of serums, vaccines, etc.--instead of reinforcing the body's resistance to a foreign substance, a sublethal dose of the poison diminished it. Richet continued his investigations on anaphylaxis, constructing a general theory of the phenomenon in 1907 (see G-M 2599), and attempting to explain the function of anaphylaxis in evolutionary terms. In 1913 he received the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for his discovery.
Book Id: 33314Price: $5,000.00