194 VENOMOUS SNAKES AND THE PHENOMENA OF THEIR VENOMS 



influence, but is not an activation of this acid by venom. Sodium oleate, which 

 is at first somewhat inhibitory, later accelerates the lecithin-splitting process 

 of the venom, and oleic acid favors this reaction under all conditions. 



Von Dungern and Coca finally advanced the theory that oleic acid and 

 sodium oleate alter the solubility of cobra-venom components and enable 

 the venom to attack the lecithin of the serum or corpuscles. 



ANTIH^EMOLYTIC PROPERTIES OF CHOLESTERIN. 



Abderhalden and Le Count l made an extensive investigation on the 

 mechanism of the antihaemolytic property of cholesterin against venom- 

 lecithin haemolysis. By using various derivative products of cholesterin and 

 also many cleavage and synthetic compounds of proteins they tried to locate 

 the radical upon whose existence the antagonistic property of cholesterin 

 is dependent. They tested a few amino-acids and numerous peptids dipep- 

 tids, tripeptids, and tetrapeptids, peptone Siegfried, etc., but none of these 

 bodies was able to exert the antihaemolytic action. Of cholesterin and 

 its derivates they employed (i) cholesterin from human gall-stone, C^H^O; 

 (2) cholesterin from egg-yolk, C 27 H 44 O ; (3) a cholesterin-like body obtained 

 from the radish oil; (4) cholesteryl chloride, C 27 H 43 C1; (5) cholesteryl acetate, 

 C 27 H43OC 2 H 3 O; (6) cholesteryl benzoate, C 27 H 43 C 6 H 5 CO 2 , cholesten, C 27 H 44 ; 

 cholesteron, C 27 H 44 O (ketone); cholesteron-oxim, C 27 H 45 ON (normal oxim 

 of ketone); oxynitrocholesteryl nitrate, C 27 H 42 N 2 O 6 ; cholesteronol acetate, 

 C 27 H 43 O 2 ' C 2 H 3 O ; cholesteronol formiate, C 27 H 43 O ' CHO; cholestandion, 

 C 27 H 42 O 2 ; cholestenon diacid, C 27 H 42 O S (ketodicarbonic acid); dimethyl- 

 ester of cholestenon diacid, C 27 H 46 O 6 and its sodium salt; chlordicarbonic 

 acid, C 27 H 43 C1O 4 ; lactone acid, C 27 H 40 O 5 . 



These substances were first tested for their inherent haemolytic powers. 

 They all reacted acid when dissolved in a fluid containing methyl alcohol 

 sufficient to hold them in solution. The acidity was neutralized by adding 

 N/io NaOH (indicated by phenolphthalein) , the latter solution being pre- 

 pared by mixing i part of normal NaOH with 9 parts of methyl alcohol, thus 

 preventing precipitation of the cholesterin and the cholesterin derivatives from 

 the diminution of alcohol percentage during neutralization. The amount 

 of NaOH required for neutralization was so small that that alone could not 

 produce any marked haemolysis. Cholesterin from egg-yolk after neutrali- 

 zation became somewhat haemolytic; the alkali added to it was enough to 

 cause haemolysis by itself. 



The experimental plans were as follows: Cobra venom o.i c.c. of 0.005 per 

 cent solution uniform. Lecithin o.i c.c. of 0.05 per cent solution uniform, 

 i c.c. of 5 per cent suspension of the blood corpuscles horse and goat 

 in an 8 per cent methyl-alcohol, isotonic, salt solution. Then decreasing 

 amounts of the solutions of cholesterins and various derivatives were added. 



1 Abderhalden and Le Count. Die Beziehungen zwischen Cholesterin, Lecithin und Cobragift, Te- 

 tanus-Toxin, Saponin und Solanin. Zeitschr. f. Pathol. u. Therapie, 1905, II, 199. 



