284 VENOMS 
This venom therefore comprises: (1) A phlogogenic substance, 
destroyed by ebullition, contained in the acid gland of the bee ; 
(2) a poison causing convulsions, which does not resist a tempera- 
ture of 100° C., if prolonged, and is probably produced by the 
alkaline gland ; (3) a stupefactive poison, which is secreted by the 
acid gland, and is not entirely destroyed until a temperature of 
150° C. is reached. 
The poison-glands can easily be extracted by gently pulling at 
the stings of bees anæsthetised by chloroform. 
The eggs of bees, like those of the toad and the viper, contain 
the specific venom. The amount, however, is small, since in order 
to produce lethal results in the sparrow it was found necessary to 
inoculate an emulsion obtained by crushing 926 eggs. 
Phisalix! makes the approximate calculation that, in the egg the 
weight of the toxic substances amounts to the one hundred and 
fiftieth part of the whole. Their effects are similar to those pro- 
duced by the venom itself, but the convulsions are not so severe. 
The predominant poison in the egg appears to be that causing 
paralysis. 
I have easily succeeded in vaccinating mice against doses of 
bee-venom certainly lethal, by repeatedly inoculating them with 
very small doses. Moreover, we find the same thing in the case of 
human beings, for we know that those who are in the habit of 
handling hives become quite accustomed to bee-stings, and finally 
feel not the slightest effect from them. 
It has been shown by J. Morgenroth and U. Carpi,’ in a 
paper recently published, that the venom of bees, like that of the 
scorpion, possesses the property of hæmolysing the red corpuscles 
of several species of animals (the rabbit, guinea-pig, and goat), and 
that it is capable of combining with the lecithin to form a lecithide 
analogous to cobra-lecithide, the curious properties of which we 
have studied in detail. 
' Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, July 24, 1905. 
? Berliner klinische Wochenschrift, 1906, No. 44. 
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