134 THE VENOMS OF CERTAIN THANATOPHIDEil. 



Two pigeons were injected in the pectoral muscle, one with five, and the other 

 with two minims of the liquid filtrate above described, and both died promptly 

 within six minutes and twenty-five minutes respectively. 



2d. Experiments icith Heated Venom. — ^Fresh Crotalus venom rapidly dried was 

 put in a covered watch-glass and subjected for one hour to a temperature of 115° C. 

 in the dry-heat oven. The venom was thereby converted into a dense resinous 

 opaque brown mass. 



Two grains of this mass, upon the addition of distilled water forming a turbid 

 liquid, were divided into thirds and injected hypoderraatically into a rabbit, a rat, 

 and a pigeon, respectively. The rabbit died in 15 minutes, the. rat in 12 minutes, 

 and the pigeon in 7 minutes, after the operation, with results and lesion similar to 

 those obtained by the use of fresh venom. 



This experiment also shows that the virulence of venom does not reside in any 

 of its organized constituents. 



3d. Putrefaction Experiments. — The testing of the effects of venom on various 

 dead animal substances was particularly desirable on account of the remarkable 

 capacity of the venom to induce rapid putrefaction in the tissues of living animals. 

 It was necessary to learn whether this property of bringing about speedy necrotic 

 changes was an action inherent in venom or due to any of its accidental constituents. 



Putrefaction Experiments with Sterilized Bouillon and Fresh Venom and its Active 

 Principles {not Sterilized). — This bouillon was prepared from chicken in the same 

 manner as that ordinarily used for culture liquids for bacteria, and the experiments 

 were executed in a room at a temperature of about 10° F. 



About two drachms of sterilized bouillon were put in each of sixteen ordinary 

 test tubes which were then treated as follows : — 



Tubes 1 and 2, added to bouillon one drop of fresh Crotalus venom ; mouth of 

 tubes plugged with cotton. 



Tubes 3 and 4, prepared same as last, but tube left open (no cotton plug). 



Tubes 5 and 6, added one grain of Crotalus peptone. Tube closed by cotton 

 plug. 



Tubes 7 and 8, same as last, but tubes left open. 



Tubes 9 and 1 0, added one grain of Crotalus globulin. Tubes closed. 



Tubes 11 and 12, same as last. Tubes open. 



Tubes 13 and 14, a pure bouillon, nothing added to it. Tubes closed. 



Tubes 15 and 16, same as last. Tubes open. 



Twenty-four hours later the bouillon in all the test tubes which originally was 

 perfectly clear had become cloudy except tubes 13 and 14 (which contained the 

 sterilized pure bouillon plugged well with cotton). 



On the third day of the experiment tubes 3 and 4 (fresh venom, tubes open) 

 showed well-pronounced putrefaction of the bouillon. 



Slight putrefactive changes were subsequently observed in the remaining tubes 

 (except 13 and 14) in the following order : — 



On the fourth day, tubes 7 and 8. On the fifth day, tubes 11 and 12, also in 

 tubes 15 and 16. 



On the seventh day all the plugged specimens were examined, and all showed 



