Encephalomyelitis in animals has been produced experimentally by injections of various impure preparations of brain and spinal cord.1,2 The onset of symptoms after a latent period of approximately 2 weeks is compatible with an allergic reaction. The incidence of disease is increased when adjuvants known to stimulate antibody formation are used.3,4 Efforts have been made to isolate a purified antigen.5,6 Recently, Laatsch, Gordon, and Kies reported the isolation of a basic protein from myelin which was encephalomyelitic.7 The present experiments were designed to test the encephalomyelitic activity of a myelin fraction isolated from bovine white matter in a nearly homogeneous state by Hulcher and Cooper.8
Preparation of White Matter Fractions
An isolation procedure for separating myelin from white matter is presented below which follows the work previously reported by Hulcher and Cooper.8 Studies of the homogeneity and some physical and chemical properties will be