ON SPECIFIC THERAPEUTICS. 25 



increased, in no way precludes an increase of 

 the avidity of the amboceptor for the cell taking 

 place in consequence of the anchoring of the 

 complement. Besides a few normal amboceptors 

 of the blood-serum in which this is observed, 

 we find that it occurs in a marked degree in the 

 case of those poisons which act by the united 

 action of two components, the part of the comple- 

 ment being played by lecithin. Thus, the power 

 of forming lecithids has been studied by Kyes, 

 who proved its existence in the case of snake 

 and scorpion poisons, and by Morgenroth and 

 Carpi, who studied bee poison. The action of the 

 venom in these cases corresponds to that of an 

 amboceptor, and the conditions for more careful 

 analysis are very favourable ; for snake poison 

 and lecithin are both stable substances, and the 

 latter belongs to a class whose chemical com- 

 position is known. Thus Kyes was enabled to 

 isolate and analyse the substance produced by 

 the reaction of snake poison with lecithin. 

 Cobra-lecithid was found to be a mono-stearyl 

 lecithin, and represents the result of a typical 

 series of processes which certainly take place in 

 cell life and in many phases of immunity. These 

 processes occur in consequence of the union 

 of albuminous substances, possessing special 



