104 



THE VENOM OF HELODERMA. 



result of the fall of blood-pressure (see fig. 17). In all other experiments the 

 animals were alive at the end of the experiment. 



During the time of infusion a large quantity of urine, an average of 590 c.c. 

 for 1,000 c.c. of infused fluid, was secreted. 



In no case was any ascitic fluid found at the expiration of the experiments, 

 notwithstanding the fact that an average of approximately 300 c.c. of fluid 

 was retained within the bodies of the infused rabbits. Transudation of fluid 

 into the intestinal canal, however, took place. On the average 51 c.c. of intes- 

 tinal fluid were recovered for every 1,000 c.c. of fluid infused. 



Table I. — Non^nephrectomized rabbits infused with venom-sodium-chloride solution. 



oNot measured. ^Retained fluid equals fluid infused minus amount of fluid eliminated as urine. 



Although the quantities of urine eliminated by the animals infused with 

 venom-sodium-chloride solution were relatively ver}' large, yet in a series of 

 control experiments with animals infused with pure sodium-chloride solution 

 even larger quantities of urine were eliminated, namely, on the average 860 c.c. 

 of urine for every 1,000 c.c. of fluid infused. The addition of venom therefore 

 diminished somewhat the secretion of urine. 



During the early period of the infusion the quantity of urine secreted is 

 large in spite of the fact that the blood-pressure has fallen quite markedly. It 

 is only after 300 or 400 c.c. have been infused, at a time when the blood-pressure 

 has reached a level which, while fairly constant, is nevertheless below the nor- 

 mal, that the secretion of urine begins gradually to grow less. These experi- 

 ments do not j^et permit us to decide whether the diminished secretion of urine 

 is due to the action of venom in lowering the general arterial pressure or to a 

 local action of venom on the renal vessels or renal cells. 



The addition of venom to the infused sodium-chloride solution seems to 

 diminish the transudation of fluid into the peritoneal cavity ; in previously' pub- 

 lished control experiments* on non-nephrectomized rabbits infused with 0.85 

 per cent sodium-chloride solution, an average of 68 c.c. of fluid for every 1,000 

 c.c. of fluid which had been retained was found in the peritoneal cavitj'. 



On the other hand, the addition of venom has increased the transudation 

 of fluid into the intestinal cavity. In rabbits infused with pure sodium-chloride 

 solution we found* an average of 53 c.c. in the intestines for every 1,000 c.c. of 

 fluid retained, while an average of 120 c.c. was recovered if venom had been 

 added. Venom causes, therefore, an increase in the elimination of fluid into 

 the intestines. 



•Fleisher, Hoj-t and Ix)eb.. Jour. Exper. iled., 1909, xi, 291. 



