The original Nagler (1939) reaction consisted of mixing dilutions of the toxin of Clostridium perfringens with human serum and noting the appearance of an opalescence. MacFarlane, Oakley, and Anderson (1941) reported that crude lecithovitellin from egg yolk gave a stronger reaction than serum, and postulated that the reaction was due to the alpha toxin of C. perfringens. Crook (1942), van Heyningen (1941), and others have used the tube reaction extensively. The test is now referred to as the Nagler or LV reaction. In a study of the use of the tube reaction for rapid identification of C. perfringens, Hayward (1941) mentioned that cultures of C. perfringens on agar

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