160 



KITAJIMA. 



Lecithin was proved to jilay an important part on the hemolytic 

 action of habu venom, just as Kyes has observed it to act as an accelerator 

 with other snake venoms. 



Ishizuka also seems to have observed the same fact. The following 

 table gives the results of our experiments Math lecithin : 



Dose of habu venom. 



1 cc. of a 5 per cent suspension washed red 

 blood cells of dog— 



With no lecithin. 



1.0 < 



0.5 cc 

 0.1 cc 

 0.5 cc 

 0.3 cc 

 0.1 cc 

 0.7 ( 

 0.5 cc 

 0.3 cc. 

 1 cc 



. of a 0.01 per cent solution _ 

 . of a 0.01 per cent solution . 

 . of a 0.01 per cent solution _ 

 . of 0.001 per cent solution __ 

 . of 0.001 per cent solution __ 

 . of 0.001 per cent solution ._ 

 . of 0.0001 per cent solution . 

 . of 0.0001 per cent solution . 

 . of 0.0001 per cent solution . 

 . of 0.0001 per ceni solution . 



Complete haemolysis . 



Complete haemolysis. 

 Partial haemolysis. 

 Slight haemolysis. 

 No haemolysis. 



Do. 



Do. 



do. 



Slight . 



The laking sets in distinctly and quickly in the presence of lecithin 

 even when such a small quantity of venom as 0.01 part of the minimum 

 dose required to effect haemolysis is used — this being the lowest limit. 

 The blood corpuscles of the guinea pig require 2 X 10" 5 gram of venom 

 to produce haemolysis if lecithin is not added, while they will lake with 

 2 X 10" s gram when 0.01 per cent of lecithin is added; i. e., 0.001 of the 

 minimum dose is sufficient to effect the action. Again, the blood cor- 

 puscles of cattle do not haanolyse with venom alone, but a laking was 

 observed to occur with 1 X 10" 1 gram of venom when lecithin was 

 present. In every case, the degree of the luemolytic action differs with 

 the amount of lecithin used. For example, the blood corpuscles of cattle 

 are not affected with 1 X 10" 4 gram of venom even if 0.001 per cent of 

 lecithin is added. The following table shows the luemolytic dose of 

 venom for 1 cubic centimeter of 5 per cent suspensions of corpuscles 

 from various animals treated in each case with 0.01 per cent of lecithin : 



Table 10. — Dose of venom necessary to effect hsemolysis in 1 cubic centimeter of a 5 per 

 cent, suspension ofviashed blood cells -\- O.01 per cent lecithin. 



Animal. 



Dose. 





Gram. 

 0. 0000001 

 0. 0000003 

 0. 0000001 

 0. 0000001 

 0. 000001 





Cattle 









