284 VENOMS 



This Tenom therefore comprises : (1) A phlogogenic substance, 

 destroyed by ebullition, contained in the acid gland of the bee ; 

 (2) a poison causing convulsions, which does not resist a tempera- 

 ture of 100° C, if prolonged, and is probably produced by the 

 alkaline gland ; (3) a stupef active poison, which is secreted by the 

 acid gland, and is not entirely destroyed until a temperature of 

 J 50° C. is reached. 



The poison-glands can easily be extracted by gently pulling at 

 the stings of bees anaesthetised by chloroform . 



The eggs of bees, like those of the toad and the viper, contain 

 the specific venom. The amount, however, is small, since in order 

 to produce lethal results in the sparrow it was found necessary to 

 inoculate an emulsion obtained by crushing 926 eggs. 



Phisalix^ makes the approximate calculation that, in the egg the 

 weight of the toxic substances amounts to the one hundred and 

 fiftieth part of the whole. Their effects are similar to those pro- 

 duced by the venom itself, but the convulsions are not so severe. 

 The predominant poison in the egg appears to be that causing 

 paralysis. 



I have easily succeeded in vaccinating mice against doses of 

 bee-venom certainly lethal, by repeatedly inoculating them with 

 very small doses. Moreover, we find the same thing in the case of 

 human beings, for we know that those who are in the habit of 

 handling hives become quite accustomed to bee-stings, and finallj' 

 feel not the slightest effect from them. 



It has been shown by J. Morgenroth and U. Carpi,^ in a 

 paper recently pubhshed, that the venom of bees, like that of the 

 scorpion, possesses the property of haemolysing the red corpuscles 

 of several species of animals (the rabbit, guinea-pig, and goat), and 

 that it is capable of combining with the lecithin to form a lecithide 

 analogous to cobra-lecithide, the curious properties of which we 

 have studied in detail. 



' Comptes rendus de VAcadimie des Sciences, July 24, 1905. 

 2 Berliner MiniscJie Woclienschrift, 1906, No. 44. 



