PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SNAKE VENOM 93 
On the other hand, the ophiotoxin has common properties with the plant- 
sapotoxins, and these are (1) soluble in water and forming froth, but insoluble 
in ether; (2) difficult resorption from mucous membranes (stomach and in- 
testine); (3) local symptoms after subcutaneous injection, and often forma- 
tion of an aseptic abscess; (4) hemolytic action; (5) action upon the nervous 
system, especially upon the respiratory center; (6) the central action can be 
produced only when a larger amount is injected subcutaneously, or a small 
amount directly into the blood; (7) sapotoxins and ophiotoxin are free of 
nitrogen; (8) they do not dialyze; (g) they are amorphous, colloidal substances 
and do not crystallize except with difficulty. 
Finally Faust laid his theoretical consideration of the pharmacological 
position of the ophiotoxin bare. He sees that the ophiotoxin resembles 
quillaja acid, differing from it only by the fact that the former has one atom 
of hydrogen too little. Another analogy is made with bufotalin, the poisonous 
secretion of the skin of a toad, in which the ophiotoxin excels the bufotalin 
in containing twice as many oxygen atoms as the latter. He thinks that both 
principles have the same carbon frame, but the ophiotoxin has more hydroxyl 
groups. He sees in this that the former owes its superior activity and lability 
to the greater number of hydroxyl complexes it contains. He recalls that 
bufotalin is an oxidization product of bufanin, a cholesterin-like body widely 
distributed among the amphibia, and that it is not improbable that the ophio- 
toxin may be an oxidation derivative of another cholesterin-like body which 
is peculiar to the reptiles. Faust places the ophiotoxin among the sapotoxin 
group and proposes to term it animal sapotoxin. 
