Main Entry: Ar·thus reaction

Pronunciation: \ˈär-thəs-, ȧr-ˈtu̅e̅s-\

Function: noun

: a reaction that follows injection of an antigen into an animal in which hypersensitivity has been previously established and that involves infiltrations, edema, sterile abscesses, and in severe cases gangrene—called also Arthus phenomenon

Ar·thus \ȧr-tu̅e̅s\ Nicolas Maurice (1862–1945), French bacteriologist and physiologist. Arthus was primarily concerned with venoms and antivenins and with coagulability and anticoagulants. In 1890 he published an article on coagulation that demonstrated for the first time the essential role of calcium in blood coagulation. In 1903, in an article reporting a study involving repeated injections of horse serum into rabbits, he reported discovery of the phenomenon of local anaphylaxis, a phenomenon that has since become identified with his name.