194. VENOMOUS SNAKES AND THE PHENOMENA OF THEIR VENOMS 
influence, but is not an activation of this acid by venom. Sodium oleate, which 
is at first somewhat inhibitory, later accelerates the lecithin-splitting process 
of the venom, and oleic acid favors this reaction under all conditions. 
Von Dungern and Coca finally advanced the theory that oleic acid and 
sodium oleate alter the solubility of cobra-venom components and enable 
the venom to attack the lecithin of the serum or corpuscles. 
ANTIHA-MOLYTIC PROPERTIES OF CHOLESTERIN. 
Abderhalden and Le Count’ made an extensive investigation on the 
mechanism of the antihemolytic property of cholesterin against venom- 
lecithin hemolysis. By using various derivative products of cholesterin and 
also many cleavage and synthetic compounds of proteins they tried to locate 
the radical upon whose existence the antagonistic property of cholesterin 
is dependent. ‘They tested a few amino-acids and numerous peptids— dipep- 
tids, tripeptids, and tetrapeptids, peptone Siegfried, etc., but none of these 
bodies was able to exert the antihemolytic action. Of cholesterin and 
its derivates they employed (1) cholesterin from human gall-stone, C,,;HyO; 
(2) cholesterin from egg-yolk, C,,H,,O; (3) a cholesterin-like body obtained 
from the radish oil; (4) cholesteryl chloride, C,,H,;Cl; (5) cholesteryl acetate, 
C,,H,OC,H,O; \(6) cholesteryl benzoate, C,,H,,;C,H;CO,, cholesten, C,,Ha; 
cholesteron, C,,H,,O (ketone); cholesteron-oxim, C,,H,ON (normal oxim 
of ketone); oxynitrocholesteryl nitrate, C,,;H,,.N.O,; cholesteronol acetate, 
C,,H,,0, * C,H;0; cholesteronol formiate, C,,H,,;0 * CHO; cholestandion, 
C,,H,,O.; cholestenon diacid, C,,H,,O; (ketodicarbonic acid); dimethyl- 
ester of cholestenon diacid, C,,H,,O; and its sodium salt; chlordicarbonic 
acid, C,,H,,ClO,; lactone acid, C,,H,,O,. 
These substances were first tested for their inherent hemolytic powers. 
They all reacted acid when dissolved in a fluid containing methyl alcohol 
sufficient to hold them in solution. The acidity was neutralized by adding 
N/1o NaOH (indicated by phenolphthalein), the latter solution being pre- 
pared by mixing 1 part of normal NaOH with 9 parts of methyl alcohol, thus 
preventing precipitation of the cholesterin and the cholesterin derivatives from 
the diminution of alcohol percentage during neutralization. The amount 
of NaOH required for neutralization was so small that that alone could not 
produce any marked hemolysis. Cholesterin from egg-yolk after neutrali- 
zation became somewhat hemolytic; the alkali added to it was enough to 
cause hemolysis by itself. 
The experimental plans were as follows: Cobra venom o.1 c.c. of 0.005 per 
cent solution uniform. Lecithin 0.1 c.c. of 0.05 per cent solution uniform. 
1 c.c. of 5 per cent suspension of the blood corpuscles — horse and goat — 
in an 8 per cent methyl-alcohol, isotonic, salt solution. Then decreasing 
amounts of the solutions of cholesterins and various derivatives were added. 
1 Abderhalden and Le Count. Die Beziehungen zwischen Cholesterin, Lecithin und Cobragift, Te- 
tanus-Toxin, Saponin und Solanin. Zeitschr. f. Pathol. u. Therapie, 1905, II, 199. 
