CHAPTER-X. 
TOXICITY OF THE BLOOD OF VENOMOUS SNAKES. 
SEVERAL physiologists, among whom it is right to mention 
Fontana,! Leydig,? Reichel Raphael Blanchard,! Phisalix and 
Bertrand” and $S. Jourdain,’ have pointed out the presence of 
poison-glands in Tropidonotus natrix or other non-venomous snakes, 
and have explained the immunity enjoyed by these animals with 
regard to venom as being due to the existence of an internal 
secretion of this poison. 
We also know, from the writings of Phisalix and Bertrand, that 
the blood of the viper, and that of the salamander and toad are 
toxic. For my part I have found‘ that the blood of Naja, 
Bungarus, Lachesis, and Cerastes possesses the same properties, 
and a comparative study has been made by Wehrmann,* in my 
laboratory, of the toxicity of the blood of the viper and of that of 
the blood of the eel, already established by Mosso (of Turin).” 
It is remarkable to findthat the blood of the various venomous 
or non-venomous snakes, like that of certain fishes, such as eels, 
produces, when injected beneath the skin or into the peritoneum, 
local and general effects very similar to those of venoms. Injec- 
tions of 0°5 c.c. to 1 cc. of the blood of the viper or of the common 
1 “Trattado del veneno della vipera,” 1787. 
Archiv für mikroskopische Anatomie, Bd. ix., 1878. 
Morphologisches Jahrbuch, Bd. viii., 1888. 
Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie, January 20, 1894. 
Archives de Physiologie, 1894. 
Comptes rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Paris, January 22, 1894. 
Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie, January 13, 1894. 
Annales de l'Institut Pasteur, 1897. 
% Archives italiennes de Biologie, 1888 and 1889, 
Ia CT WO Ww 
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