PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SNAKE VENOM 87 



solvents distinguishes lecithid from cobra venom on one hand and lecithin 

 on the other. 



The curious phenomenon was observed that when a watery solution of the 

 primary lecithid is allowed to stand in the room temperature the solution 

 gradually becomes turbid and separates out whitish precipitate which settles 

 to the bottom. The whitish deposit consists of crystalline, translucent, 

 highly refractory bodies of microscopic dimensions. This modified product 

 is called secondary lecithid. It is almost insoluble in cold water, soluble in 

 warm alcohol, and reappears on cooling. Its solubility in organic solvents 

 is the same as the primary lecithid. The lecithid requires no incubation 

 time for attacking the blood corpuscles. It is thermostabile, while the native 

 cobra venom becomes inactive when heated to ioo° C. for 30 minutes. No 

 biuret reaction is given by the lecithid. 



The elementary analysis of pure lecithid of cobra venom has been made 

 by different chemists.* 



Willstatter and Liidecke give the following figures: 



One estimation N = 2.73 per cent P = 5.76 per cent. 



Other estimation N = 2.8 per cent P = 6.03 per cent. 



The result of von Braun is as follows: 



N = 2.84 per cent P = 5.56 per cent. 



H = 10.92 per cent C = 59.07 per cent. 



The result obtained by H. Weil is as follows: 



N = 6.35 per cent P = 3.16 per cent S = 7.66 per cent. 

 H = 9.48 per cent C = 56.26 per cent Ash = 9.29 per cent. 



In this connection Kyes referred to the fact that the percentages of nitrogen 

 and phosphorus of the lecithid closely approach those of monostearyl lecithin 

 and monopalmitin lecithin, which, according to Willstatter and Liidecke, 

 contains N = 2.74 per cent, P = 6.06 per cent in the latter, and N = 2,59 

 per cent, P = 5.73 per cent in the former. 



The lecithids were prepared also from the following venoms: 



(i) Lachesis s. Bothrops lanceolatus. (5) Bungarus fasciatus. 



(2) Daboia russellii. (6) Lachesis s. Trimeresurus riukiuanus. 



(3) Naja haje. (7) L. s. Trimeresurus anamallensis. 



(4) Bungarus cseruleus (krait). (8) Crotalus adamanteus. 



Kyes met some irregular results in preparing venom lecithid, and finally 

 found that the acidity which develops and gradually increases during the 

 shaking of the lecithin-chloroform solution and cobra-venom solution was 

 the cause. If the acidity of the mixture be removed by appropriate quanti- 

 ties of alkali, the formation of lecithid goes on again until the acidity reaches 

 the inhibiting degree for the process. After completing this process the 

 alkali is removed from the mixture by means of hydrochloric acid. 



Kyes studied the products which arise from the mixture of an insufficient 



' Kyes. Ueber die Lecithide des Schlangengiftes. Biochem. Zeitschrift, 1907, IV, 99. 



