THE VENOMS. 93 



see. These latter, in fact, appear to owe all their 

 toxicity to true toxins which they contain, while 

 the poisons of batrachians and saurians are chiefly 

 composed of alkaloidal bases.* 



The poison of toads and frogs (studied by Faust, 

 Bertrand, and Physalix) is chiefly secreted by the 

 glands of the subcutaneous tissues of these animals ; 

 it has but a very slight action on the unbroken 

 skin, but it rapidly inflames the nasal and buccal 

 conjunctival mucosa. The poison is a yellowish 

 liquid, milky and viscid, with a waxy odor and 

 an insupportably bitter taste. It is strongly acid 

 and caustic. When dried, the poison yields to 

 ether a fatty matter which, when absorbed by an 

 animal, plunges the latter into a coma that may 

 end in death. 



The residue insoluble in ether contains the non- 

 toxic albuminoids, and ptomaines, such as methyl- 

 carbylamine,t and isocyanacetic acid, resulting 

 from the decomposition of a lecithin that appears 

 to be soluble in ether. 



To obtain this venom, Physalix and Bertrand t 

 skin the toads, first chloroformed, and dry the 

 skins in a vacuum over sulphuric acid; the skins 

 are then cleaned by treating with carbon disul- 

 phide to remove fatty matters, and the toxic 



* Cloez: Compt. rend, de I' Acad, des Sciences, xxxiv, p. 592. 

 t Ibid., xcvm, p. 538. 

 %Ibid., cxxviii, pp. 45-48. 



