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COLLECTED STUDIES IN IMMUNITY. 



purest methyl alcohol, for, as we know from special experiments, this 

 does not injure the red blood-cells even in concentration up to 9 or 

 10%. A 1% stock solution was diluted with 0.85% salt solution, and 

 it was found that 0.0025 cc. to 0.0035 cc. of the 1% solution (i.e. 

 0.000025 g. lecithin) were sufficient to completely dissolve 1 cc. 5% 

 ox or goat blood on the addition of suitable amounts of cobra poison. 

 (See Table VIII). 



TABLE VIII. 



In what way now are we to picture the action of this lecithin? 

 We know that lecithin is able to combine with albuminous bodies, 

 sugars (Henriquez and Bing), etc. A threefold question had to be 

 decided. First, whether cobra venom unites with lecithin after the 

 fashion of an amboceptor; second, whether perhaps the snake venom 

 had made the blood-cells sensitive to lecithin; or third, whether 

 the reverse holds true. 



A preliminary test was made to see whether lecithin and snake 

 poison combine with one another. The method of making this 

 experiment is relatively simple. Lecithin can easily be shaken out 

 of its solution in salt water by means of ether. As the following 

 experiment will show, lecithin passes into the ether in great abundance, 

 but not completely. This behavior corresponds to a general phe- 

 nomenon which is the expression of the "loi de partage." If, how- 

 ever, to the same amount of lecithin a suitable quantity of snake 

 venom is added, it is found that but very little passes into the ether 

 on shaking the ether with the mixture. Two portions each of 10 cc. 

 were thus shaken out with ether: A, containing 2 cc. of a certain 

 lecithin solution: B, containing besides this 1 cc. of a 1% solution 

 of cobra venom. Previous to this both solutions were kept at 37 C. 

 for half an hour. The ethereal extract was evaporated and the 

 residue taken up in 10 cc. 0.85% salt solution The action, on ox 



