PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SNAKE VENOM 93 



On the other hand, the ophiotoxin has common properties with the plant- 

 sapotoxins, and these are (i) soluble in water and forming froth, but insoluble 

 in ether; (2) difficult resorption from mucous membranes (stomach and in- 

 testine); (3) local symptoms after subcutaneous injection, and often forma- 

 tion of an aseptic abscess; (4) haemolytic action; (5) action upon the nervous 

 system, especially upon the respiratory center; (6) the central action can be 

 produced only when a larger amount is injected subcutaneously, or a small 

 amount directly into the blood; (7) sapotoxins and ophiotoxin are free of 

 nitrogen; (8) they do not dialyze; (9) they are amorphous, colloidal substances 

 and do not crystallize except with difficulty. 



Finally Faust laid his theoretical consideration of the pharmacological 

 position of the ophiotoxin bare. He sees that the ophiotoxin resembles 

 quillaja acid, differing from it only by the fact that the former has one atom 

 of hydrogen too little. Another analogy is made with bufotalin, the poisonous 

 secretion of the skin of a toad, in which the ophiotoxin excels the bufotalin 

 in containing twice as many oxygen atoms as the latter. He thinks that both 

 principles have the same carbon frame, but the ophiotoxin has more hydroxyl 

 groups. He sees in this that the former owes its superior activity and lability 

 to the greater number of hydroxyl complexes it contains. He recalls that 

 bufotalin is an oxidization product of bufanin, a cholesterin-like body widely 

 distributed among the amphibia, and that it is not improbable that the ophio- 

 toxin may be an oxidation derivative of another cholesterin-like body which 

 is peculiar to the reptiles. Faust places the ophiotoxin among the sapotoxin 

 group and proposes to term it animal sapotoxin. 



