Staphylococcal abscesses contain two types of lipids which are bactericidal for Staphylococcus aureus. These include a group of long chain unsaturated free fatty acids and another as yet unidentified lipid with unique properties. When abscess homogenates are incubated with S. aureus culture filtrates, the amount of bactericidal activity is increased. This phenomenon is called activation. To determine the source of increased bactericidal activity during activation, individual types of lipid were isolated from abscess homogenates and examined for their ability to be activated. Activation was found to result from the release of long chain unsaturated fatty acids from glycerides, presumably by the action of staphylococcal lipase.