THE CHEMICAL STUDY OF SNAKE-VENOMS 165 
normal glandular juices, they possess very manifest zymotic pro- 
perties, which singularly complicate their physiological action, and 
upon which we shall dwell later on. 
Electricity, employed in the form of continuous electrolytic 
currents passing through a solution of venom, destroys the toxicity 
of the latter, because under these conditions there is always formed, 
at the expense of the salts accompanying the venom, a sufficient 
quantity of chlorinated products (hypochlorites, chlorates, &c.), and 
a small amount of ozone, the oxidizing action of which is extremely 
powerful. 
With alternating currents of high frequency, Phisalix, repeating 
the experiments that Arsonval and Charrin had performed upon 
diphtheria toxin, thought that he had succeeded in attenuating 
venom to the point of transforming it into vaccine.’ But it has 
been shown by Marmier that this attenuation was simply the result 
of thermic actions. When, by means of a suitable arrangement, 
any rise of temperature was carefully avoided, no modification of 
toxicity was obtained.” 
The influence of light, which has no effect upon venom pre- 
served in a dry state, is, on the contrary, very marked upon venom 
in solution. Solutions of venom that are destined for physiological 
experiments should therefore not be employed without controls, if 
they be several days old. . Apart from the fact that, if care be not 
taken to render them aseptic, they very soon become con- 
taminated with the germs of all kinds of microbes, it 1s found that 
they gradually lose a large part of their activity, especially when 
they remain in contact with the air. By filtering them through 
a Chamberland candle and keeping them in the dark, in a re- 
frigerator, in perfectly closed phials, they may be kept unimpaired 
for several months. 
Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie, 29 février, 1896. 
> Annales de UV Institut Pasteur, 1896, p. 489, 
