224 THE VENOM OF HELODERMA. 



In the experiments in which the residue of guinea-pig-brain venom mix- 

 ture was injected into mice, 4 of 5 died, an additional proof that guinea-pig 

 brain adsorbs some venom. 



In the experiments testing the adsorptive power of guinea-pig liver 2G ani- 

 mals were used; 3 injected with quantities of the supernatant fluid correspond- 

 ing to 3^ lethal doses of venom survived the injection, 12 lived longer than the 

 controls, and 1 1 died as soon as the controls. Thus it is evident that guinea- 

 pig liver may adsorb a considerable quantity of venom. That guinea-pig liver 

 does adsorb venom is substantiated by the experiments in which the residue of 

 the guinea-pig-liver venom mixture was injected into mice; 4 of 7 mice injected 

 with this residue died. 



Experiments were undertaken with guinea-pig liver similar to those carried 

 out with guinea-pig brain, comparing the various methods of separation of the 

 fluid from the solid portions of the mixtures. If the guinea-pig-liver venom 

 mixture was filtered through a Berkef eld filter without having been placed in the 

 shaker previously, the filtrate thus obtained was almost as toxic as the pure 

 venom solution. Mice injection with the Berkefeld filtrate of the guinea-pig- 

 liver venom mixture (shaken for 2\ hours before the filtration), in the majority 

 of cases did not die as soon as their controls (4 out of 6 lived longer than their 

 controls), but none survived. Of 6 mice injected with supernatant fluid from 

 the guinea-pig-liver venom mixture (separated by centrifugation) at the same 

 time as these last-mentioned animals, 4 also lived longer than their controls; 

 the remaining 2 injected with supernatant fluid died as soon as the controls. 



In the experiments testing the adsorptive power of guinea-pig kidney, 5 

 of the 21 mice injected with the supernatant fluid, died as soon as the controls ; 

 12 lived longer than the controls, and 4 which had received quantities of the 

 supernatant fluid corresponding to 3 lethal doses recovered. We may, there- 

 fore, conclude that guinea-pig kidney adsorbs in most cases as much as 70 to 80 

 per cent of the venom. After injection of the residue from a guinea-pig-kidney 

 venom mixture, 2 out of the 3 animals died. It is, therefore, evident that 

 guinea-pig kidney, like guinea-pig liver, adsorbs venom, but that the venom is 

 easily liberated from the organ pulp. 



Three mice injected with a venom-egg albumen mixture died as soon as 

 their controls. Egg albumen exerts, therefore, no antitoxic influence on venom. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



Of the various substances tested, charcoal adsorbs heloderma venom most 

 completely. A quantity of charcoal equal to one-sixteenth of the volume of 

 the venom solution adsorbs all or almost all of the venom, and the adsorbed 

 venom is held firmly by the charcoal when injected into a living organism. 



Carmine adsorbs venom completely or almost completely, when pres- 

 ent in a quantity equal to one-quarter of the volume of the venom solution, but 

 does not adsorb very much more than half of the venom when present in a 

 quantity equal to one-eighth of the volume of the venom solution. 



Aluminium oxide, when present in a quantity equal to one-sixteenth of the 



