438 “. LEGUMINOS&.. 
lt may be viiited out that there are no Scania referable “ 
to definite lesions of the organs, except the oecurrence of bloody ~ 
"motions due to gastro-enteritis. The sleepiness, in. gradually 7 
increasing coma, may be explained by an effect on the cerebrum — 
as there is not sufficient dilatation of the vessels of the abdo- 
minal organs to explain the occurrence of coma by drainage into 
‘the ‘splanchnic .area,”’? the occurrence of rapid breathing, 
which is produced chiefly by the globulin, may be explained — 
by an affection of the respiratory centre. The only early symp- — 
tom of abrus poisoning is a fall of body temperature, and this — 
is produced both by the globulin and the albumose. 
' This lowering effect of the jequirity proteids on body tema 
perature was noticed in cats by Warden and Waddell. It is” 
important, wlien taken in consideration with the fact that — 
rattlesnake venom produces a similar effect (WeirMitchll 
and Reichert), and that, on the other hand, animal albumoses ~ 
and peptones have been shown by Ott and Colmar* to produce 
fever in mammals, 
- Effect of Heat on, the Activity of Jequirity Proteids.— 
Boiling the liquid destroys the activity of the infusion of j jequi- : 
rity seeds. This, as has been mentioned, is an argument 
against the bacterial nature of the poison. It was desirable to 
* test, however, with exactness at what temperature this activity — 
was permanently destroyed. For this purpose solutions of the 
globulin and albumose were momentarily heated up to 50°, 60°, 
75°, 80°, 85°, C. before being used for inoculation, In cack 
separate series of experiments an unheated solution of ~rotetdl a 
was also inoculated, in order to have a control, anda lethal dose 
was always used. » ‘For the details of these experiments the : 
papers in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, already quoted, — 
must be referred to. Suffice it to say here that the results ob- 
tained were—(1) that the activity of the globulin was perma-— 3, 
nently destroyed by momentarily heating its solution to between s 
75° and 80° C., that is, about its coagulation temperature, while — 
the solution of albumose had to be heated up to 85°C., before — 
* Journal of Phyitony, vol: vis 218. 
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