158 K1TAJIMA. 



These figures make it evident that the presence of serum markedly 

 promotes haemolysis in the cases of the dog and the horse, has no 

 influence in those of the guinea pig, rabbit, pig, pigeon and hen, while 

 with the latter two birds the mixture of the serum even appears somewhat 

 to retard the action. 



Experiments were also undertaken to demonstrate whether the accel- 

 erator of haemolysis offers as little resistance to heat as does complement 

 in general, and for this purpose several portions of dog serum were 

 heated for thirty minutes at G0°, 70°, and 80°C, respectively, and 

 were then added to test tubes of washed dog's corpuscles mixed with 

 varying amounts of venom. The resulting haemolysis is noted in the 

 following table: 



Table 6. 



Dose of venom 

 (gram). 



Serum not 

 heated. 



Serum heated to— 



60° C. 



70° C. 



80° C. 



0.00001 



Complete... 

 .. . do 



Complete... 

 do 



Complete. ._ 

 do 



Complete. 



Do. 

 Partly. 



0. 0000001 



Partly 



Partly 



Partly 









The haaniolytic action is therefore not affected by heat, even though 

 the temperature be as high as 70° to 80°C. We conclude from this 

 that the action of the serum is not due to ordinary unstable complement, 

 however it may be produced by the presence of lecithin, as was found 

 by Kyes, with cobra venom. 



A series of experiments was also made to determine the maximum 

 temperature which the hsemolysin of habu venom would endure. Tubes 

 of a 1 per cent solution of the venom retained about one-tenth and 

 one-thirtieth of the original power of the hemolysin after being heated 

 for thirty minutes at 60°C. and 70°C, respectively. When heated for 

 thirty minutes at 80° C. the remaining action was exceedingly slight, 

 but still demonstrable. The haemolysin was completely destroyed after 

 heating for thirty minutes at 90°C. The result is partially shown in 

 the following table, the experiment being made with the washed blood 

 cells of the dog, both with and without serum: 



