VENOM H#MOLYSIS AND VENOM AGGLUTINATION 185 
prevent hemolysis. To antagonize one complete hemolyzing mixture the 
amount of cholesterin was found to vary according to the amount of lecithin 
which such a mixture contains. The greater the amount of lecithin, the 
more cholesterin was required to inhibit hemolysis. No quantitative rela- 
tion exists between the amount of venom and that of cholesterin.' 
Noguchi also demonstrates that the addition of methyl alcohol beyond a 
certain amount (or concentration) finally nullifies the antihemolytic property of 
cholesterin, which may indicate that the increase of solubility of cholesterin 
diminishes its antagonistic action against the mixture of venom and lecithin. 
MECHANISM OF VENOM HAMOLYSIS. 
Goebel? discovered that the corpuscles, which are completely refractory 
to the hemolytic action of cobra venom in isotonic sodium chloride solution, 
are promptly dissolved when suspended in isotonic saccharose solution instead 
of the saline medium. 
Pascucci * investigated the action of various hemolysins, saponin, solanin, 
tetanolysin, and cobra venom, upon the artificial membrane of lecithin- 
cholesterin mixture. It was found that these hemolysins produced per- 
meability of the membrane for hemoglobin solution. This alteration was 
most pronounced when the percentage of cholesterin in the mixture was least. 
The higher the percentage of cholesterin the less permeability resulted as the 
effect of these substances. 
Morgenroth * confirmed the finding of Kyes and Sachs that the hemolytic 
principle of cobra venom is much more resistant to the deteriorating effect 
of boiling when heated together with a small quantity of hydrochloric acid. 
He also found that the hemolysin (as well as neurotoxin) is so modified by 
this acid that the specific antitoxin now becomes unable to combine with this 
principle in the acidified medium. Even the neutral mixture of the lysin and 
antitoxin is split up by the acid into its original components. If the action 
of the acid has not continued too long the removal of the acid restores to the 
lysin its original affinity towards antitoxin. 
Morgenroth and Pane ® followed up the study of the effects of hydrochloric 
acid upon the hemolysin of cobra venom. They observed that when cobra 
venom in an acid medium containing about N/ 20 HClis heated for a long time 
and its hemolytic power is tested immediately after cooling and neutraliza- 

1 Recently Morgenroth made a statement that this experiment was a mistake, on the grounds that 
cholesterin antagonizes the hemolytic action of venom lecithid, the ready hemolysin. To 
my mind such a criticism is invalid. First of all we must admit that the resultant lecithid is 
in proportion to the amount of lecithin acted upon by venom. The amoumt of lecithin is the 
source of lecithid to be formed by the action of venom; hence, if the amount of venom present 
is sufficient, the quantity of the lecithid produced is directly proportional to lecithin previously 
present. in other words, the experiment has shown that the inhibitory action of cholesterin 
is directed against the activated lysin. 
* Goebel. Contribution a I’étude de l’agglutination par le venin de cobra. C.r. de la Soc. Biol., 1905. 
Contribution 4 l’étude de l’hémolyse par le venin de cobra. Loc. cit., 1905. 
8 Pascucci. Die Zusammensetzung des Blutscheibenstromas und die Hamolyse. II Mittheil. Die 
Wirkung von Blutgiften auf Membranen aus Lecithin und Cholesterin. Hofm. Beitr. zur 
chem. Physiol. und Pathol., 1905, VI, 552. 
4 Morgenroth. Ueber die Wiedergewinnung von Toxin aus seiner Antitoxinverbindung. Berl. klin. 
Woch., 1905, XLII, 1550. 
® Morgenroth and Pane. Ueber Beobachtungen reversibler Veranderungen an Toxinen. Biochemische 
Zeitschrift 1906, I, 354. 
