The reported results of the application of the colloidal mastic test to the examination of pathologic spinal fluids have been so contradictory that it has appeared wise to conduct an investigation to determine the degree of parallelism, in regard to their clinical value, between the colloidal gold and the colloidal mastic reactions, and the possible cause for a discrepancy, if any exists.
HISTORICAL NOTE
The application of colloidal solutions to the examination of the spinal fluid dates from the work of Lange,1 who made use of a colloidal gold solution. Neisser and Friedemann,2 among others, demonstrated the similarity in action between soluble proteins and a colloidal gold or mastic solution. Emmanuel,3 in 1915, published his notes on the application of the colloidal mastic test to the examination of various pathologic spinal fluids. In brief, the technic used by Emmanuel in employing a colloidal mastic solution is as