1072 VENOMS AND ANTIVENINS 



responsible for the hemolysis which takes place when a venom is brought into contact 

 with red cells. In 1902, when Kyes/ having taken up the study of the phenomena of 

 venom hemolysis, produced a combination of lecithin and Naja naja venom which 

 he called "cobra lecithid," immunologists thought that his experiments might throw 

 some light upon the chemical constitution of complements. Five years later von 

 Dungern and Coca^ attempted to demonstrate that the hemolysis is brought about 

 by a lipoid-splitting ferment contained in "cobra" venom, a ferment which acts 

 on the lecithin, thereby producing a substance which dissolves the red cells. This 

 ferment is the "lecithinase." Delezenne, Ledebt, and Fourneau^ were the first who 

 thought that the hemolysis observed by Kyes is the result of the action of a ferment 

 on the serum "phosphatids" from which a hemolytic substance, called "lysocithin" 

 (anhydride of the cholin-palmitophosphoglyceric ether), is formed. Lecithinase may 

 also act directly on a few kinds of red cells, namely, those of the guinea pig, dog, and 

 man, cells which are likely to be as rich in the lysocithinogen phosphatid as the serum 

 itself. Lecithinase is a characteristic antigenic substance, for the serum obtained from 

 horses immunized with the whole venom acquires anti-lecithinasic property and so 

 prevents hemolysis. Nevertheless, it remains to be proved whether lecithinase and 

 erythrocytolysin are or are not the same substance. 



Snake venoms also have the property of decreasing the globular resistance. This 

 property is entirely independent of their hemolytic activity, as shown recently by 

 Aquino. "• 



Lipolysin is another ferment present in a few venoms, namely, those of the differ- 

 ent species of Micrurus ("coral snakes"). Besides acting on fatty substances, it is 

 antigenic. Antivenins, when properly prepared, are antilipolytic. 



Chymosin is the venom ferment which causes milk coagulation. It is present in 

 considerable quantity in the venom of Agkistrodon mokasen, A. piscivorus, Bothrops 

 atrox, B. neuwiedii, B. jararacussu, and B. alternata. 



ANTIVENINS 



Antivenins are the only specific means of neutralizing venoms and arresting their 

 harmful action on the tissues. 



Calmette,^ to whom therapeutics is indebted for work on the preparation of 

 antivenins, claimed that there is no specificity between antivenins and venoms. He 

 held that any antineurolytic serum could be applied to accidents issuing from any 

 kind of neurolytic snake venom. His theory, however, has proved to be incorrect 

 through studies carried out by Lambj^Tidswellj^Ishizakaj^Noguchi,' Brazil,'" Arthus," 



■ Kyes, P.: Bed. klin. Wchnschr., 39, 886 and 918. 1902. 



^ von Dungern, E., and Coca, A.: Biochem. Zlschr., 12, 407. 1908. 



3 Delezenne, C, and Ledebt, A.: Compt. rend. Acad, de sc, 155, iioi. 1912; Delezenne, C, and 

 Fourneau, E.: Bull. Soc. chim. de France, 15, 421. 1914. 



4 Aquino, L.: Rev. Asoc. med. argent., 22, 1124. 1922. 

 s Calmette, A.: Les Venins, etc., p. 263. Paris, 1907. 



'Lamb, G.: Mem. Off. Med. San. Dept. Gov. India, p. 16. 1905. 

 'Tidswell, F.: Resenrch on Aiisiralian Venoms, p. 35. 1906. 

 ^Ishizaka, T.: Zlschr. j. exper. Path. u. Therap., 4, 88. 1907. 



'Noguchi, H.: op. clt., pp. 233 ff. 1909. '" Brazil, V.: Rev. med. S. Paulo, p. 15, 1909. 

 " Arthus, M.: Compt. rend. Acad, de sc, 153, 1504. 1911. 



