XV. A CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY OF THE POISON 

 OF THE COMMON GARDEN SPIDER. 1 



By Dr. HANS SACHS, Assistant at the Institute. 



THE studies in haemolysis, constantly keeping pace with the develop- 

 ment of the doctrine of immunity, have shown that besides the usual 

 blood poisons sharply denned chemically, there is another group 

 of haemolysins of animal or vegetable origin which exert their damag- 

 ing influence like the toxins, by combining with certain definite 

 groups of the protoplasm. Included in this are snake venom, numer- 

 ous bacterial secretions such as tetanolysin and staphylolysin, tox- 

 albumins of higher plants, such as crotin. Besides this there is 

 the endless series of haemolysins, both normal and those produced 

 at will by immunization, which are found in the blood serum. 



Of the highest importance for the conception of the similarity 

 of these blood poisons was the fact that only such blood-cells are sen- 

 sitive to these hcemolysins which are capable of anchoring them. This 

 fundamental law, which was first recognized and clearly formulated 

 by Ehriich and Morgenroth 2 has constantly been confirmed, espe- 

 cially in the study of the serum hsemolysins artificially produced. 

 As a result of this the mode of action of these poisons as well as of the 

 toxins has been conceived from the standpoint of the side-chain theory. 

 " * * * the prerequisite and the cause of the poisonous action in 

 all these cases is the presence in the blood-cells of appropriate receptors 

 (side chains) which fit into the haptophore groups of the toxin; con- 

 versely, therefore, there is an intimate connection between natural 

 immunity and the absence of receptors." (Ehriich.) 



It is evident that the study of the combining relations of the 

 toxin-like blood poisons is of great significance for the study of the 



1 Reprint from Beitrage zur chemischen Physiologic u. Pathologic, Vol. II, 

 No. 1-3. 



J See page 1 et seq. . 



167 



