THE ISOLATION OF SNAKE VENOM LECITHIDS. 



479 



siderable solvent action on all the different species of blood examined 

 by us. Its action is about one twentieth as strong as that of cobra 

 venom. (See Table IV.) 



TABLE IV. 

 ACTION OF SCORPION POISON WITH AND WITHOUT THE ADDITION OF LECITHIN. 



Corresponding to this behavior we succeeded in actually pro- 

 ducing a typical lecithid from scorpion poison by following the usual 

 procedure. 1 



All this leads us to the view that the essential character of the 

 haemolytic cobra venom is due not to the haptophore group, but 

 finally to the lecithin anchored by the blood-cells by means of a 

 lecithinophile amboceptor. Now we know that lecithin is present 

 in every red blood-cell, and this seems apparently to contradict the 

 fact determined by us experimentally that the lecithin is the cause 

 of haemolysis. This contradiction, however, is merely apparent, 

 for we need only assume that by the aid of the cobra venom 



1 It is probable that the poison of a fish, Trachinus draco (see Briot, Journ. 

 de Physiol. et de Pathol. ge"n. 1903, No. 2), is also capable of forming a lecithid; 

 at least a statement of Briot speaks in favor of this, namely, that the haBmolytic 

 agent in the Trachinus poison can be activated by a serum which has been 

 heated to more than 60 C. 



