204 



CHAPTER IX. 



PHYSIOLOGY OF POISONING {continued). 



PitOTEOLYTic, Cytolytic, Bacteriolytic and various Dias- 

 TAsic Actions of Venoms : Diastasic and Cellular 

 Action on Venoms. 



A. — Proteolytic Action. 



The proteolytic action of venoms on gelatine, fibrin, and egg- 

 albumen has been studied by Flexner and Noguchi,^ Delezenne,^ 

 and subsequently by Noc^ in my laboratory. It was already known 

 that in vivo certain venoms exert a manifestly dissolving action on 

 the endothelium of blood-vessels and on the muscular tissues 

 themselves. 



Delezenne, on his part, has established the existence in snake- 

 venoms of a kinase analogous to the kinase of leucocytes and 

 enterokinase. Venom alone does not attack egg-albumen coagu- 

 lated by heat, but it confers an exceedingly strong digestive power 

 on inert pancreatic juices. 



Lachefiis-YenoTa has been found to be much the richest in 

 kinase. It digests gelatine perfectly, and when this substance 

 has been subjected to its action it is no longer capable of being 

 solidified. 



Lannoy,^ on the other hand, experimenting upon albuminoid 



' " The Constitution of Snake-venoins and Snake-sera," Vniverfiity of 

 Pennsylvania Medical Bulletin, vol. xv., November, 1902, p. 345. 



- Comjites rendus de VAcademie des Sciences, August 11, 1902. 

 ^ Annales de Vh^stitut Pasteur, June, 1904. 



^ " Sur Taction proteolvtique des renins, " Comptes rend /is de VAcademie des 

 Sciences, September, 1902, and These Paris, No. 1,138, 1903. 



