THE PHYSIOLOGY OF POISONING 213 



have shown that venoms do not hydrolyse either starch or inuhn. 

 Co&ra-venom and that of Vipera change saccharose very shghtly. 

 They do not modify the glucosides (amygdalin, coniferin, saHcin, 

 arbutin, and digitahn) ; they therefore do not contain emulsin. 



On the other hand, these venoms possess, as I have already 

 stated, very interesting kinasic properties, which have been pointed 

 out by Delezenne.^ They consist in the fact that while venom 

 alone is incapable of digesting cooked albumin, we have only to 

 add to a pancreatic juice, in itself devoid of effect upon albumin, 

 a trace of venom, to see this albumin immediately become digested. 



Lachesis-venom is especially active in this respect. In Dele- 

 zenne's experiments it was generally sufficient to add to 1 c.c. of 

 inactive pancreatic juice, 0'.5 to 1 c.c. of a 1 in 1,000 solution, that 

 is 0'5 to 1 milligramme of venom, to obtain the digestion of a cube 

 of albumin weighing 0'5 gramme in the space of from ten to twelve 

 hours. Much weaker doses, ^, -^i sometimes even ^\y of a milli- 

 gramme still gave the same result, with this sole difference that 

 digestion took twenty-four, forty-eight, and even seventy-two hours 

 to become complete. 



(7o6ra-venom was found to be a little less active than the fore- 

 going, but still its action was usually evident enough when it was 

 ennployed in a dose of 0'5 milligramme or even O'l milligramme. 

 As for the venom of Vipera berus, it was often necessary to employ 

 it in doses from five to ten times stronger in order to obtain the 

 same result. 



Delezenne has ascertained, on the other hand, that these venoms 

 entirely lose their kinasic power when they are subjected to ebulli- 

 tion for fifteen minutes. 



This kinase or diastase, capable of quickening the inert pan- 

 creatic juice, must evidently be of very great utility to the 

 reptile in enabling it to digest its prey. Venom, therefore, is not, 

 as has long been believed, a purely defensive secretion ; it corre- 

 sponds to a physiological necessity, like that of the intestinal or 



' Comptes rendus de VAcademie des Sciences, August 11, 1902. 



