XXVII. THE MODE OF ACTION OF COBRA VENOM.* 



By PRESTON KYES, A.M., M.D., Associate in Anatomy, University of Chicago, 

 Fellow of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. 



I. Concerning the Amboceptors of Cobra Poison. 



THE most important contributions in recent years to our knowl- 

 edge of the action of animal poisons are the recently published in- 

 vestigations of Flexner and Noguchi 2 on haemolysis by means of 

 snake venom. These authors have found that although red blood- 

 cells whose serum has been completely removed by washing with 

 salt solution are agglutinated by snake venom, they are not dissolved. 

 If, however, serum is added to the washed blood-cells, or if un- 

 washed blood is used T haemolysis ensues. From this Flexner and 

 Noguchi conclude that the haBmolytic action of the snake venom 

 is due to two factors. One of the components is contained in the 

 snake venom itself, and is said to bear heating to about 90 C. very 

 well. The other component is a constituent of the serum; to a 

 certain extent this activates the poison which in itself has no action. 



Flexner and Noguchi therefore arrive at the conclusion that snake 

 venom is made up of a number of substances, acting after the manner 

 of amboceptors, which are activated by certain complements of the serum. 



The great significance of this interesting fact is at once evident. 

 While formerly snake venom was regarded as a simple poison acting 

 after the manner of toxins, this shows that the hsemolytic action 

 of snake venom is somewhat more complex, being identical with 

 the mechanism of the hsemolysins of blood serum, as this has been 

 conceived by Ehrlich and Morgenroth. For this reason Flexner 

 and Noguchi's discovery was hailed with especial delight here in 

 the Frankfurt Institute. 



1 Reprint from the Berl. klin. Wochenschr. 1902, Nos. 38 and 39. 



2 S. Flexner and H. Noguchi, Snake Venom in relation to Haemolysis, Bacteri- 

 olysis, and Toxicity. Journ. of Exper. Medicine, Vol. VI, No. 3, 1902. 



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