232 VENOMOUS SNAKES AND THE PHENOMENA OF THEIR VENOMS 



snake venom, but a fuller consideration of their results will be made under 

 the separate heading, the specificity of antivenins. 



McFarland (1900-1901) undertook the immunization of horses with the 

 mixed venoms of crotalus, ancistrodon, cerastes, etc., and obtained a serum 

 which had a marked antivenomous power against various kinds of venom. 



In 1902 Tidswell * prepared a pure antivenin for Notechis scutatus venom 

 by immunizing horses with gradually increasing doses of unmodified venom 

 of Notechis. This antivenin showed a marked protective power against the 

 venom used in the preparation, but not for the other Australian venoms, such 

 as that of Pseudechis or the death adder. 



In 1903 Flexner and Noguchi ^ produced several antivenins for crotalus 

 venom, modified either with weak hydrochloric acid or iodine trichloride 

 solution. The crotalus antivenin thus produced was able to neutralize the 

 effects of unmodified crotalus venom, but had almost no action against the 

 other venoms. 



In 1904 Noguchi prepared in goats two pure antivenins, one for Crotalus 

 adamanteus and the other for Ancistrodon piscivorus. Both had marked 

 specific antitoxic powers. 



In 1904 Lamb ^ produced a highly antitoxic immune serum in horses by 

 injections of pure cobra venom. This antivenin was found to be highly 

 specific for the same venom. He ^ then succeeded in producing a pure anti- 

 venin for unmodified daboia venom and found it to be specific. 



In 1905 Brazil ^ prepared pure antivenins for the venoms of Lachesis lance- 

 olatus and Crotalus terrifcus. Both were highly specific. 



In 1907 Ishizaka ^ produced pure antivenin with the venom of Lachesis 

 flavoviridis in rabbits. He was able to immunize successfully, if not highly, 

 to the effects of unmodified venom by repeated, gradually increasing doses 

 of modified venom solutions. The modifications were by (i) chloroform 

 shaking; (2) glacial acetic acid; (3) hydrogen sulphite; (4) temperature of 

 60° to 68° C. The rectal administration of the native venom led to an appear- 

 ance of antitoxin in the body of the animal, while the ahmentary introduction 

 per OS failed to do so. The actions of the antivenin are found to be highly 

 specific. 



In the same year Kitashima^ produced antivenin for the venom of Lache- 

 sis fiavoviridis in larger animals (goat, ox, and horse). 



'Tidswell. Australian Med. Gazette, 1902, XXI, 177. 



2 Flexner and Noguchi. Production and properties of anticrotalus venin. Jour, of Med. Research, 



1904, n. s., VI, 363. 



3 Lamb. Specificity of antivenomous sera. Sci. Mem. Off. Med. Sanit. Depts. Govern. Ind., 1904, 



n. s.. No. 10. 

 ^ Lamb. The specificity of antivenomous sera, with special reference to a serum prepared with the 



venoni of Daboia russeUii. Sci. Mem. Off. Med. Sanit. Depts. Govern. Ind., 1905, n. s.. No. 16. 

 * Brazil. L' intoxication d'origine ophidienne, Paris, 1905. 



^ Ishizaka. Studien iiber Habuschlangengift. Zeitschr. f. exper. Path, und Therapie, 1907, IV, 88. 

 7 Kitashima. On " Habu " venom and its serum therapy. The Philippine Jour, of Science, 1907, III, 



Section B, 151. 



