46 THE VENOM OF HELODERMA. 



In more dilute solutions of HC1 (N/100 to N/250) the granules and rods 

 seem also to become to a great extent dissolved, but here a finely granular pre- 

 cipitate forms in the mixture of solution and acid, and this precipitate makes it 

 difficult to distinguish the preformed from the granules of the precipitate. 



B. TESTS WITH SODIUM HYDRATE. 



(B 1 ) 1 c.c. N/10 NaOH added to 1 c.c. suspension: Granules dissolved 

 after interval of 1 J minutes. Microscopic examination after 10 minutes showed 

 the liquid clear, except for traces of an occasional granule. 



(B 2 ) 0.1 c.c. N/10 NaOH added to 0.5 c.c. suspension: Granules dis- 

 solved in 40 seconds. Microscopic examination after 5 minutes showed the 

 liquid clear, with a few nuclei of blood-corpuscles or perhaps also of other cells. 



(B 3 ) 0.1 c.c. N/10 NaOH added to 0.9 c.c. suspension: Granules dissolved 

 in 5 seconds. Microscopic examination, after 9 minutes, showed the liquid 

 clear, with no signs of granules. 



(B 4 ) 0.5 c.c. N/100 NaOH added to 0.5 c.c. suspension: Granules dis- 

 solved in 5 seconds. After 27 minutes the liquid was very clear. Microscopic 

 examination after 21 minutes showed the liquid almost clear, with no distinct 

 trace of granules. In alkaline mixtures the fluid becomes clearer than in the 

 acid solutions of corresponding strength. If the alkaline solutions through 

 addition of NaCl are made isotonic with a 0.85 per cent NaCl solution, some of 

 the granules remained somewhat longer preserved than with hypotonic alka- 

 line solutions made up with distilled water. 



C. TESTS WITH SOLUTIONS OF 



(C 1 ) 1 c.c. 0.85 per cent NaCl added to 1 c.c. suspension: Granules not 

 dissolved after 1| minutes. Microscopic examination after 3 minutes showed 

 granules and rods in abundance. 



(C 2 ) 0.1 c.c. 0.85 per cent NaCl added to 0.5 c.c. suspension: Granules 

 not dissolved after 1 minute. Microscopic examination after 8 minutes gave 

 same result as preceding observation. Other similar experiments gave the 

 same results. After 3 hours the fluid had become less cloudy. Microscopic 

 examination at the same time showed that the granules were extremely scarce, 

 only a few distinct ones being seen. 



(C 6 ) 0.5 c.c. 1.5 per cent NaCl added to 0.5 c.c. suspension: Granules 

 not dissolved after 30 seconds. Microscopic examination after 2| minutes 

 showed the rods and granules well preserved. The same mixture examined 

 after 3 hours showed microscopically only small numbers of granules preserved. 



In 0.85 per cent NaCl solution a slow but continuous solution of the gran- 

 ules takes place. They remain better, but not definitely preserved, in a 

 hypertonic NaCl solution, made up by mixing equal quantities of the emulsion 

 of granules and of a 1.7 per cent NaCl solution. 



D. TESTS WITH DISTILLED WATER. 



(D 1 ) 1 c.c. H 2 added to 1 c.c. suspension: Granules partly dissolved 

 after 1| minutes. Microscopic examination after 5 minutes showed number of 



