When horse serum is injected into the subcutaneous tissue of a rabbit it is absorbed within a few hours with no evident inflammatory reaction but if the injection is repeated at intervals of several days the animal reacts with acute inflammation at the site of injection. This phenomenon was first noted by Arthus (1) and has been designated by his name. After the fourth subcutaneous injection the skin about the injection becomes red and there is a soft edematous infiltration which disappears after two or three days. After the fifth injection infiltration is firmer and persists five or six days. After the sixth injection severe injury to the edematous subcutaneous tissue is evident and a solid white mass resembling pus is formed. In most instances after the seventh injection the skin undergoes necrosis. The gangrenous area separates slowly from the surrounding tissue and cicatrization occurs after several weeks. The changes which have been described follow preliminary injections into subcutaneous tissue, peritoneum or veins made with fresh serum and the result is the same if the serum has been heated during a half hour at 57°C. Since 1 cc. or less injected every six days suffices to produce the change Arthus reached the conclusion that it does not depend upon the accumulation of a large quantity of the foreign protein within the body. The more profound changes ending in gangrene of the skin were seen only when the later injections were made below the skin upon the ventral surface of the thorax or abdomen injections into the skin of the ear causing edema alone.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Eugene L. Opie (1924) studied this question.