210 TOXINES AND ANTITOXINES. 



Naturally, search was first made, as we find almost universally in the 

 history of toxines, for alkaloidal substances comparable with the ptomaines. 

 Thus GAUTIER, in 1881, isolated two alkaloidal substances, nain and 

 elaphin, from the venom of the naja and the Trigonocephalus (American 

 fer-de-lance) respectively. He himself, however, had to admit that these 

 substances were relatively harmless ; and hence, in this case, science 

 was spared the process of disillusion which otherwise followed almost 

 universally the original over-valuation of the ptomaines. 



GAUTIER, therefore, concluded that the "true active principle 

 of snake poison contained nitrogen," but that it was " not of the 

 nature of an alkaloid." 



About the same time, WEIR MITCHELL and REiciiERT, 1 in 

 America, made a fuller investigation of snake poisons. 



The venom of European vipers (Pelias berus) had already 

 received somewhat more attention (FONTANA, VALENTIN, 2 and 

 others). The true stage of development of this new branch of 

 biology begins with these researches. Then follow the classical 

 investigations of CALMETTE, to which, supplemented by those 

 of MARTIN, FRASER and PHISALIX, and the quite recent work 

 of FLEXNER, KYES and SACHS, our present knowledge is, in 

 the main, due. 



By a lucky chance, CALMETTE, 3 who was then head of the 

 bacteriological institute at Saigon, obtained possession of the 

 fresh poison glands of 22 cobras, and this formed the starting 

 point for his classical investigations. 



The poison glands of the serpents, which are similar to the 

 salivary glands, are the true source of the poison; but CALMETTE 4 

 found that the Uood of the cobra was also fairly poisonous. The 

 intravenous injection of 2 c.c. killed a rabbit weighing 1,500 

 grms. in three minutes. On the other hand, the liver and gall 

 are not poisonous. Even the blood of otherwise harmless 

 serpents (Tropidonotus) was found to be poisonous by PHISALIX 

 and BERTRAND. 5 This blood poison has certain peculiarities 

 with which we shall deal presently. 



The poison gland of the cobra yields on expression about 

 3 grms. of a transparent viscous fluid, which when exposed to 



1 Weir Mitchell and Reichert, " Researches upon the Venoms of Poison- 

 ous Serpents," Smithsonian Contrib., No. 647, Philadelphia, 1885; Wash- 

 ington, 1886 ; quoted by Flexner, loc. cit. 



2 Valentin, "Einige Beobachtg. lib. d. Wirkg. des Viperngiftes," Zeit. f. 

 BioL, xiii., 80, 1877. 



3 Calmette, "Etude experimentale du venin de Naja tripudians" Ann. 

 Past., vi., 160, 1892. 



4 Calmette, "Sur la toxicite du sang de cobra," Soc. BioL, xlvi., 11, 1894. 



5 Phisalix and Bertrand, "Sur le presence des glandes venimeuses chez 

 les couleuvres," Soc. BioL, xlvi., 8, 1899. 



