Jan. 7, 1886] 



NA rURE 



Weir Mitchell and Reicherl; (Mai. News, April 2S, 1S83 ; 

 Lancet, July 2i, 1S83), working with the venoms of American 

 snakes, have indicated in these veneris certain poisonous 

 jn-oteids, the nature of which, however, is not fully elucidaled. 

 Wall's ("Indian Snake Poisons," Allen and Co., 18S3) experi- 

 ments and conclusions lead to the same view. Blyth ( Th: 

 Analyst, vol. i.) attributed the venom to an acid ("cobric 

 acid") of deadly power. Gautier asserted that he had separated 

 two ptomaines from Trigonocephalus and Naja venom. The 

 author undertook this research with the object of determining 

 whether the active venomous properties reside in the proteid 

 constituents or some other non-proteid body or bodies. His 

 work falls under the following heads : — 



(1) The possibility of cobra-poisoning being due to "germs' 

 or living organisms in the secretion. 



(2) Its possible dependence upon an alkaloidal body. 



(3) Its dependence upon some acid (cobric acid). 



(4) Its dependence upon the proteids contained in it. 



(5) The mode of action of these proteids. 



With regard to the first proposition, the author finds nothing in 

 cobra poison which will grow under cultivation methods favour- 

 able for such organisms. The symptoms of the poisoning are 

 entirely unlike bacillary infection, and resemble more the effect 

 of some rapidly-acting chemical poison. With regard to the 

 presence of "alkaloids" in cobra venom, the author made 

 three examinations of the dried venom by the Stass Otto 

 method, but failed to find any trace of an alkaloid. He thus 

 confirms the results of Prof. Wolcott Gibbs, who examined 

 cobra poison for Dr. Weir Mitchell, in search of "ptomaines, "but 

 stated that he could find no trace of such bodies. In reference 

 to the " cobric acid" said to have been obtained by Blyth from 

 cobra venom, the author remirks that as it is said to be crystal- 

 line, it will presumably readily dialyse. Searching the dialysates 

 for such a body, the author has failed to meet with it. Dialysates 

 that retain any toxic power do so by virtue of the proteid which 

 they contain, since cobra venom, or the dialysate of cobra venom, 

 loses Its poisonous properties with the removal of its proteids. 



The fourth proposition — viz. that the toxic power of the 

 venom is resident in the proteids, is the author's chief point, 

 and on this subject he remarks as follows : — 



The coagulum obtained by boiling the venom is harmless 

 when injected into rats. The filtrate from the coagulum is 

 toxic, though in less degree than the original solution. The 

 author thi.iks this toxic power to be due to syntonin remaining 

 in the solution. That it is due to proteid is shown by the fact 

 that, with the removal of this proteid by acetate of lead, it is 

 rendered harmless. 



The dialysates of cobra venom which are toxic contain 

 proteid, but lose their poisonous properties when this proteid is 

 removed by boiling with ferric acetate. 



The variable degree of toxic power of the dialysates is de- 

 pendent on the length of time the dialysis has lasted, and thus 

 upon the amount of proteid that has passed through the 

 dialyser. 



From what has been said as to the non-existence of any 

 poisonous acid or alkaloid in cobra venom, and also the diminu- 

 tion of toxicity on boiling solutions of the venom, and cimplete 

 removal of poisonous properties on completely freeing the boiled 

 venom from such protei 1 as has escaped coagulation Ijy heat, 

 and, further, as to the dependence of the toxicity of the dialysates 

 upon the proteid therein, there can be no further doubt that the 

 toxic power of the venom is entirely due to its proteids, and that 

 it completely loses all poisonous power on the removal of these 

 bodies. 



The formerly reputed power of permanganate of potash as an 

 antidote is explained by the action of this body upon albumens, 

 which it converts into oxyprotosulphonic and other allied acids 

 (according to Briicke and Maly) and it fails as an antidote within 

 the body because it oxidises all albumens iudiflerently, without 

 any selective power for the cobra proteids. 



The proteids contained in cobra venom are — 



(i) Globulin, which is obtained by saturation and shaking 

 with MgSoj, and which is coagulated in its solutions at 75° C. 

 It is extremely toxic, and kills by involving the respiratory 

 system, producing speedy asphyxia. 



(2) Serum albumen, present in the filtrate from the MgSoj 

 precipitate, and which is brought down on further saturation 

 and shaking witliNa^Soj. It coagulates between yo'andSo" C. 

 There is very little of it present, and it probably acts in a 



239 



eneral and ascending 



poisonous manner by producing 

 paralysis. 



(3) Syntonin, which is left in the filtrate after boiling the 

 venom, and is also partially precipitated by MgSo4, along with 

 the globulin, and also appears in the dialysates, from which it is 

 entirely removed by boiling with ferric acetate, or lead acetate. 

 It possesses poisonous properties, chiefly like the globulin. 



It is possible that some specimens of cobra venom contain a 

 little peptone, though it can only be in faint traces. The bodies 

 which Weir Mitchell and Reichert have described as peptone in 

 Crotalus and Mocassin venoms are probably albumoses. That 

 they are precipitated by dilute acetic acid, NaCl, and liquor 

 potassa indicates this character. The "globulin," which they 

 have described as dissolved by heating instead of coagulating, is 

 also possibly a body of this nature. The complete removal of 

 all proteids from cobra jjoison by boiling with ferric acetate, 

 except in some specimens the very faintest trace (as indicated 

 by metatungstic acid), shows that when peptone is present it is 

 only in the smallest traces, and it is not constantly found in 

 cobra venom. 



In conclusion, the author desires to express his thanks to the 

 Indian executive for readily acceding to the request of Mr. 

 Vincent Richards, a member of the last Snake Commission, to 

 supply him with the dried venom. The amounts received have, 

 however, been small, making the research not only slow, but 

 V3ry difficult. 



Victoria (Philosophical) Institute, January 4. — A paper 

 by Mr. Boscawen, on the Abiamic Migration, and the light 

 thrown thereon by recently discovered .Assyrian Inscriptions was 

 read. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, December 28, 1S85. — M. Jurien de 

 la Graviere, Vice-President, in the chair. — Obituary notice of 

 the late M. L. R. Tulasne and his botanical work, by M. P. 

 Duchartie. — Note on the new star in Oriun recently discovered 

 at Lord Crawford's Observatory, Dun Edit, by M. C. Wolf, 

 From a study of its spectrum, which belongs to Class HI., 

 section a of Vogel, this would appear to be, not a temporary 

 star like t Corouoe discovered in 1S66, but a true star hitherto 

 undetected. — On the movement of the molecules of the " soli- 

 tary wave," by M. de Saint- Venant. — Researches on the func- 

 tions of Wrisberg's nerve — complementary note, by M. Vulpian. 

 — Researches on the real origin of the secreting nerves of 

 Nuck's salivary gland, and of the labial salivary glands of the 

 cog, by M. Vulpian. — Observations on the structure of the 

 vascular system in the genus Davallia, and particularly in JJa- 

 vallia repcns, by M. A. Trecul. — On the respiration of plants 

 outside the living organisms, in connection with M. Regnard's 

 recent communication, by M. Ad. Cliatin. — On a new theory of 

 algebraic forms (continued), by Prof Sylvester. — Report on M. 

 Mestre's claim of priority of discovery iu connection with MM. 

 Napoli and Abdank-Abakanowicz's integraph, by the Commis- 

 sioners, MM. Bertrand and Jordan. To a certain extent M. 

 Mestre's claim is allowed ; he appears entitled to the credit of the 

 general idea of the apparatus, all the details of which must, how- 

 ever, be accredited to M. Napoli. — Letter on thepropo ed a]ipoint- 

 ment of a special Commission to study the subsidence of the 

 land along the coasts of the English Channel, by the JMinistei 

 of Public Instruction. — On the relative frequency of the spot> 

 on the two hemispheres of thi sun, by M. Spbrer. Between 

 the years 1880-82 the spots occurred most frequently in the 

 northern hemisphere (56 per cent.), but from 1882-85 they were 

 most frequent in the southern, being last year in the proportion 

 of 69 to 30 per cent. — On a unique method of determining 

 the constants of the altazimuth, and of M. Lrjjwy's recently- 

 invented meridian lunette "a grand champ," by M. Gruey. 

 — Observations of Barnard's comet made at the Obser- 

 vatory of Bordeaux, by MM. G. Rayet, Doublet, and 

 Flamme. — Observations of Fabry's comet made at the Ob- 

 servatory of Bordeaux, by MM. G. Kayet and Flamme. — 

 Elements of Fabry's comet, by M. Gonnessiat. — Note on the 

 secular diminution of the obliquity of the ecliptic, by M. F. 

 Folic. — On the potential energy of two ellipsoids mutually 

 attracting each other, by M. O. Callandreau. — On the doubly 

 periodical functions of the third species, by M. Appell. — Note- 

 on the effects of the rheostatic machine of quantity (two illustra- 

 tions), by M. Gaston Plante. — A new application of the prin- 

 ciple determining the transmission of power to a distance b. 

 means of electricity, by M. Manceron. — Application of thi- 

 numerical laws of the chemical equilibria to the dissociation of 



