28 THE VENOMS OF CERTAIN T H A N A T P H I D E M. 



To one-fourth of the filtrate a few crystals of sodic chloride were added, which 

 rendered the solution clear. 

 4:49. Injected as before. 

 4:55. Rocking. 

 4:58. Down. 

 5:57. Dead. Tlie local effect is intense; great blackening and infiltration of fluid blood. 



It will have been seen that even after subjection for three days to the action of 

 absolute alcohol the venom has not lost its toxicity. It further appears that the 

 addition of acetic acid or sodic chloride, while rendering the undissolved material 

 soluble delays the time of death, and that the local effects of the poison are 

 destroyed by the acid and intensified by the sodic chloride. The action of the 

 acid is probably due either to a powerful local constricting action on the tissues or 

 else to a modification of .the properties of the poison. We can give no reason 

 for the cause in the delay of death after the addition of the sodic chloride. As the 

 animal in this observation lived longer than in the first, the increased local effect 

 may be in this way partially accounted for. 



The filtrate becomes very turbid by boiling, and gives a decided precipitate with 

 nitric acid, thus proving that the water has actually dissolved some of the precipi- 

 tate, and consequently that the toxicity of the filtrate cannot depend merely upon 

 the undissolved particles of precipitate carried through the filter. 



It is interesting to learn whether alcohol dissolves any poisonous element of the 

 venom. In one of the above experiments the only effect following the injection 

 of the alcohol filtrate was vomiting, but the objection may be made that the alcohol 

 was in sufficient quantity to act as a physiological antidote to any poisonous ele- 

 ment of the venom which it might have contained. We therefore made a further 

 test of this matter by using Cobra venom, which is more powerful than that of the 

 Crotalus, and using it in larger quantities. 



Experiment. — Dissolved 0.1 gram Cobra venom in two drops of distilled water, 

 and digested in 2.5 c. c. absolute alcohol for about ten days. The mixture was 

 then filtered, and the filtrate evaporated spontaneously to § of a c. c. This was 

 injected into a pigeon without any effect. 



The following observations with Cobra venom are of great value as throwing 

 light upon the different results obtained by various investigators in studying the 

 action of alcohol on venom. In this series of experiments varying proportions of 

 water were used to dissolve the venom. 



Experiment. — Dissolved 0.02 gram dry Cobra venom in three drops of distilled 

 water, then added 1 c. c. absolute alcohol and filtered. 



(I.) 4:3?. Injected into tbe breast of a pigeon the above filtrate — no symptoms. 

 (II.) 4:41. Injected the precipitate in a little water. 

 4:50. Dead. 



Experiment. — Dissolved 0.03 gram Cobra in ten drops of distilled water and 

 added 1 c. c. absolute alcohol and filtered. 



(I.) 5:00. Injected the filtrate as above. 



5:30. Sick. 



5:53. Unable to stand ; extremely feeble. 



5:55. Dead. 



