92 VENOMOUS SNAKES AND THE PHENOMENA OF THEIR VENOMS 
reduction in the strength of ophiotoxin. Now, the entire volume of fluid 
after dialysis, usually about 800 c.c., was condensed to 50 c.c. In order 
to remove the biuret-reacting bodies metaphosphoric acid was gradually 
added, which separated them out. ‘The excess of the acid must be avoided, 
as this may redissolve some of the precipitate once formed. ‘The reaction 
may be slightly acid. ‘The precipitate is then separated from the clear fluid 
by filtration. The filtrate is found to be highly toxic and does not contain 
nitrogen. The ophiotoxin is insoluble in alcohol and therefore can be pre- 
cipitated out from the filtrate by adding sufficient alcohol. 
Faust found that a weak acid reaction with metaphosphoric acid prevents 
the inactive modification during the condensation of fluidal volume. Its 
action seems to be peculiar to this acid, because in the same acidity H,SO,, 
HCl, HNOs, and orthophosphoric acid, as well as tartaric and oxalic acids 
could not prevent the decomposition of ophiotoxin during evaporation in 
the air or 7m vacuo. 
This protective property of metaphosphoric acid was also found to be 
effective in preserving the activity of the ophiotoxin prepared after Method 
A. Desiccation at 40° C. did not affect the ophiotoxin if weakly acidified with 
metaphosphoric acid. 
The ophiotoxin in the dried state is a light, somewhat yellowish amorphous 
powder. Heated on a platinum plate, it first leaves a voluminous carbon, 
then burns without ash. It contains no nitrogen, phosphorus, or sulphur. 
Sodium hydrate solution quickly renders it inactive. 
Elementary analysis of ophiotoxin by Faust on two preparations agreed 
very well and gave the following: 
Observed (in mean). Calculated. 
C 52.01 per cent (52.11 51.93 52.01). 52.27 per cent. 
6.476 per cent (16:72 6:76 6:8): 6.72 per cent. 
Faust gives the following simple, empirical formula: C,,H,,O,,. The two 
preparations employed in the foregoing analysis were nearly 5 times more 
powerful than the original venom, and in spite of the amorphous character 
he concludes his ophiotoxin to be the pure and single substance. 
Ophiotoxin in watery solution reacts weakly acid, but does not act on 
carbonate of soda. It can be separated out from watery solution by saturating 
with ammonium sulphate. Sodium chloride and sodium sulphate do not 
precipitate it. Salts of heavy metals —copper, lead, mercury —throw it out 
from an alkaline, but not from an acid solution. 
Faust states that the ophiotoxin may be an animal glucoside and considers 
the high content of oxygen to be peculiar to some of the carbohydrate com- 
plexes of the molecule. He did not, however, find any substance capable 
of reducing copper oxide into the oxidule when the ophiotoxin is boiled 
one hour with concentrated hydrochloric acid. Thus no reducing sugar is 
formed in the above treatment, showing the difference from the plant glucosides, 
Differences from plant sapotoxins are (1) insoluble in alcohol; (2) no re- 
ducing carbohydrate ground; (3) a curare-like action on cold-blooded animals 
