188 VENOMOUS SNAKES AND THE PHENOMENA OF THEIR VENOMS 



most bloods contain mainly the second group. Ethereal extraction removes 

 from the latter the greater part of the activators, which, when introduced into 

 the non-susceptible variety of corpuscles, make the latter susceptible to the 

 hasmolytic effect of venom. Calcium chloride removes the activating property 

 very effectively, but not that of the first group (dog). In accordance with 

 this finding the defibrinated bloods of the second group are very well protected 

 by the addition of calcium chloride, but this salt fails to protect the blood of 

 the first group. Even the washed corpuscles of the latter group may finally 

 be haemolyzed by venom in spite of the presence of calcium chloride, demon- 

 strating that lecithin forms at least a part of the activators in these cells. It 

 may be recalled at this place that both from the non-activating serums and 

 from the non-susceptible corpuscles a certain quantity of lecithin is easily 

 extractable with hot alcohol. 



It has repeatedly been stated that every serum becomes venom-activating 

 when heated to coagulation and that it matters not whether the serum was 

 originally activating or not. The activating property developing after heat- 

 ing is uninfluenced by calcium chloride and its action is very rapid. There 

 can be no doubt that it is due to the liberation of lecithin by heat. Noguchi 

 found, however, that non-activating serum is here again quite inferior to 

 activating serum in its activating power after heating. In both instances 

 ethereal extraction fails to remove the activator from the clear filtrate which 

 alone is activating. It appears that lecithin exists as a non-coagulable pro- 

 tein compound, comparable to Chabrie's albumin. 



Now, taking up the question why lecithin is available for venom activation 

 in dog's serum and not in ox's serum, Noguchi was able to show that lecithin 

 as existing in paired state with serum albumin and serum globulins is entirely 

 inactive in regard to venom activation. It is the same with non-activating 

 or activating serums. But in the activating variety (dog) there exists in the 

 serum a certain protein compound of lecithin capable of venom activation, 

 but not in the non-activating serum. This compound remains in solution 

 when serum globulins are precipitated by dialysis, but can be precipitated 

 by half-saturation with ammonium sulphate. It is perfectly soluble in water, 

 and is not coagulable in neutral alkaline salts solutions upon boiling. Cal- 

 cium chloride has no inhibiting influence on its venom-activating property 

 and warm alcohol extraction of this protein yields much lecithin, but not with 

 ether. In this place it may be remarked that boiling of fractionated albumin 

 and globulins of ox serum did not produce any striking amount of venom 

 activator. No study has been made to find out why the whole serum pro- 

 duces and the fractionated proteins do not produce venom-activating lecithin 

 compounds on boiling, but the removal of certain salts and lipoids through 

 fractionation may in part account for the difference. 



Noguchi is inclined to consider the activation of venom by certain fatty 

 substances, at least in part, as a sort of cumulative action of venom and these 

 chemicals. That venom inflicts upon the washed corpuscles a rather marked 

 injury and renders the latter considerably more subject to all kinds of destruc- 



