322 THE VENOM OP THE AUSTRALIAN BLACK SNAKE. 



(3.) Copper sulphate and potash. Rose buiret. 

 (4.) Saturation with magnesium sulphate. Causes a pre- 

 cipitate. 

 (5.) Saturation with ammonium sulphate. Causes a pre- 

 cipitate. 



Of a small test tube |- inch was filled with the 

 crystals of MgS04 ^^ -^^2 ^^4 and then the solution 

 poured on to them so as to cover the crystals by i inch. 

 The tubes were then allowed to stand 24 hours in a warm 

 place. At the end of this time the crystals in both tubes 

 were found to be covei'ed with a layer of flocculi. 

 (6.) Of the solution 2 cc. were shaken for 24 hours with A mo 

 SO. 2 crystals, to which one drop of 5% H^ SO 4 had been 

 added* and then filtered. 

 The filtrate was proteid free. 

 On account of the minute quantity at my disposal I have not 

 been able to accomplish more than this at present, but these few 

 experiments enable me to answer in the aflirmative the question 

 whether our snake poison contains poisonous albumoses. 



The question whether any other proteid constituents of snake 

 venom, not separated by these means, possess toxic powers {e.g., 

 albumins or globulins), is so far unanswered. 



I am at the present time, in conjunction with Mr. T. McGarvie 

 Smith, conducting a systematic investigation into the chemistry of 

 snake poison. The great difficulty we have to contend with is the 

 scarcity of material. For though we have reason to believe that 

 the virulence of the poison of the black snake is as great as that 

 of the cobra, the amount of poison voided at one time by the 

 latter snake is 10 or 20 times as great as that procured from the 

 largest snakes we have had in our possession, some of which have 

 been remarkably fine specimens. 



In conclusion, I take this opportunity of acknowledging 'my 

 indebtedness to Mr, Smith, whose kindness enabled me to compare 

 the effects of the injection of ray isolated albumoses with those 

 produced by the fresh poison. 



* Vide Neumeister, Zeitscrift f, Biologie, Bd. xxvi. 



