HEMOLYTIC PROPERTIES OF HELODERMA VENOM. 



147 



In another series of experiments we tested the activating properties of the 

 various specimens of lecithin. A combination of the lecithin and venom was 

 added to the washed guinea-pig corpuscles. The mixture was kept in the 

 thermostat for 2 hours and left in the ice-chest over night. 



Hemolytic action of heloderma venom and lecithin. 



(1 c.c. of 5 per cent suspension of guinea-pig corpuscles, 0.1 mg. of heloderma venom.] 



We found the combination of lecithin and venom produced hemolysis of 

 the guinea-pig corpuscles. The venom alone caused no hemolysis, and the 

 lecithin alone in quantities of either 0.025 mg. of the Agfa lecithin, or 0.0125 

 mg. of the Chicago or the Kahlbaum product were without effect, yet the 

 combination of these substances produced a hemolysis which appears to be 

 analogous to that produced by the cobra- venom-lecithin combination. It may 

 be noted that in our experiments it was necessary to add to the venom a quan- 

 tity of lecithin equal to half as much as the hemolytic dose of lecithin when not 

 mixed with venom, in order to hemolyze the guinea-pig corpuscles, while Kyes 

 states that ^6 f the hemolytic dose of lecithin when added to cobra venom 

 was sufficient to activate the hemolysin. In many other cases, however, we 

 found that one-quarter or even one-tenth of the hemolytic dose of lecithin was 

 sufficient to hemolyze the blood corpuscles when combined with heloderma 

 venom. 



Having found that the combination of lecithin with venom produced 

 hemolysis, we studied the effects of this combination on eight kinds of blood- 

 corpuscles, namely, those of the ox, sheep, dog, rabbit, guinea-pig, turtle, frog, 

 and heloderma. In the majority of these experiments Agfa lecithin was used 



as activator. 



Ox CORPUSCLES. 



In these experiments we used fresh venom as well as the dissolved dry 

 venom. 



[2 c.c. of 5 per cent suspension of ox corpuscles.] 



From these experiments it appears that the fresh venom hemolyzes the ox 

 corpuscles with a trifle less lecithin than the dissolved dry venom. Further- 



