476 CHEMISTRY OF THE LEUOOMAINS. 



mentioned Schmidt-Miilheim, Hofmeister, PoUitzer, and others. 

 Brieger believed that the formation of peptons in the process of 

 digestion was accompanied by the development of a toxic ptomain, 

 which he named peptotoxin. As stated elsewhere, Salkowski has 

 very properly questioned the formation of peptoxin in the ordinary 

 digestion of proteids. 



The venom globulins, on the other hand, though present in less 

 quantity than the peptons, induced the same remarkable local effects 

 seen on injection of the pure venom. They caused local bleedings, 

 destroyed the coagulability of the blood, and rapidly corroded the 

 capillaries. 



These results of Mitchell and Eeichert, which are given somewhat 

 in full, have been questioned by Wolfenden, who, while agreeing in 

 the main that the poisonous property of venom is due to proteid 

 constituents, regarded their pepton not as a true pepton, but rather 

 as one or more bodies of the albumose group of proteids. He like- 

 wise regards the globulin of moccasin venom to be some other 

 proteid body. According to him, the cobra venom owed its toxicity 

 to the proteids, globulin, serum albumin, and acid albumin. Occa- 

 sionally there seem to be present traces of pepton and of hemial- 

 bumose. 



Brieger was at first apparently inclined to believe that the action 

 of venom was due to animal alkaloids, on the ground that these 

 bases are extremely soluble, and hence always go into solution, along 

 with the likewise very soluble proteid constituents, and that the 

 difficulty in their isolation lies in the elimination of these proteids. 

 Subsequently, however, Brieger and Frankel pointed out the 

 poisonous nature of some bacterial proteids (toxalbumins) and also 

 showed that cobra poison yields with alcohol a precipitate which 

 gives proteid reactions. 



The proteids of serpents' venom should be compared with the 

 toxins formed by the activity of the pathogenic bacteria, and also 

 with the similar compounds, the phytcdbumoses of castor beans, 

 jequirity, etc., and with the enzymes. Possibly similar compounds 

 will be found in croton and other species of ricinus, jatropha, loco- 

 weed, etc. The poisons secreted by certain spiders and fish may be 

 mentioned in this connection (see p. 193). 



Recent researches on the venoms have been productive of very 

 important results, especially from the standpoint of immunity to and 

 cure from the bites of venomous serpents. Although in the higher 

 latitudes poisoning from snake-bites is comparatively rare, it should 

 not be overlooked that in certain portions of the globe, notably 

 India and Australia, the mortality from this cause is exceedingly 

 high, and may well claim the attention of governments. Thus, it is 

 estimated in India that over 20,000 persons die annually from the 

 bites of serpents. 



