168 



THE VENOM OF HELODERMA. 



INFLUENCE OF ACIDIFICATION UPON THE HEMOLYTIC ACTION OF 



HELODERMA VENOM. 



A small amount of hydrochloric acid was added to a solution of dry venom 

 which previously gave a neutral reaction, and the hemolysis effected by the 

 acidified and the normal venom was compared. Heated dog serum served as 

 activator. We found no difference in the action of the normal and the acidified 



venom. 



z c.c. 



of 5 per cent suspension of dog corpuscles and 0.1 c.c. of dog serum. 



Acidification of the heloderma venom does not interfere with its hemolytic 

 properties. 



INFLUENCE OF THE ADDITION OF ALKALI TO HELODERMA VENOM. 



Sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate have been tested as activators 

 for the venom of Heloderma. Sodium hydroxide possessed no activating prop- 

 erties. Alone, sodium hydroxide may cause hemolysis of either dog or rabbit 

 corpuscles. When diminishing quantities of a decinormal solution of sodium 

 hydroxide were added to venom, the hemolysis was the same in tubes contain- 

 ing venom and the alkali as in the tubes containing the alkali alone. The 

 results were similar when either dog or rabbit corpuscles were used, except that 

 the rabbit corpuscles were more resistant than the dog corpuscles to the hemo- 

 lytic influence of the alkali. 



1 c.c. of 5 per cent suspension of rabbit corpuscles. 



When 0.1 per cent solution of NaHC0 3 was used instead of NaOH, the 

 alkali had not only no activating properties, but the combination of venom 

 with the alkali appeared even to inhibit the hemolysis caused by the alkali 

 alone. Thus 0.4 and 0.2 c.c. of the 0.1 per cent solution of NaHC0 3 caused 

 slight hemolysis of dog corpuscles,while similar quantities of alkali combined 

 with 0.5 mg. venom produced no hemolysis. Our experiments were, however, 



