STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF SYSTEMIC ADMINISTRATION OF SENSITIZERS IN GUINEA-PIGS WITH CONTACT SENSITIVITY TO INORGANIC METAL COMPOUNDS I. THE INDUCTION OF IMMUNOLOGICAL UNRESPONSIVENESS IN ALREADY SENSITIZED ANIMALS.

The article focuses on the studies related to the effect of systematic administration of sensitizers in guineapigs. The induction of immunological unresponsiveness to simple chemical contact sensitizing agents by the systemic administration of a large dose of the chemical as late as 24 hour after attempted sensitization. In initial studies on the effect of the intravenous injection of large doses of potassium dichromate intravenously to guinea-pigs which were already sensitive, it was found that it was possible to produce a prolonged state of specific unresponsiveness. It was, therefore, decided to study further the effect of the intravenous injection of different doses of the compound and also to find out to what extent the unresponsiveness could be modified by prolonging the time between the intravenous injection of the compound and the subsequent application of potassium dichromate to the skin to determine whether the animal was still sensitive or had become unresponsive.