VENOM HAEMOLYSIS AND VENOM AGGLUTINATION 185 



prevent haemolysis. To antagonize one complete haemolyzing mixture the 

 amount of cholesterin was found to vary according to the amount of lecithin 

 which such a mixture contains. The greater the amount of lecithin, the 

 more cholesterin was required to inhibit haemolysis. No quantitative rela- 

 tion exists between the amount of venom and that of cholesterin. 1 



Noguchi also demonstrates that the addition of methyl alcohol beyond a 

 certain amount (or concentration) finally nullifies the antihaemolytic property of 

 cholesterin, which may indicate that the increase of solubility of cholesterin 

 diminishes its antagonistic action against the mixture of venom and lecithin. 



MECHANISM OF VENOM HAEMOLYSIS. 



Goebel 2 discovered that the corpuscles, which are completely refractory 

 to the hemolytic action of cobra venom in isotonic sodium chloride solution, 

 are promptly dissolved when suspended in isotonic saccharose solution instead 

 of the saline medium. 



Pascucci 3 investigated the action of various hsemolysins, saponin, solanin, 

 tetanolysin, and cobra venom, upon the artificial membrane of lecithin- 

 cholesterin mixture. It was found that these haemolysins produced per- 

 meability of the membrane for haemoglobin solution. This alteration was 

 most pronounced when the percentage of cholesterin in the mixture was least. 

 The higher the percentage of cholesterin the less permeability resulted as the 

 effect of these substances. 



Morgenroth * confirmed the finding of Kyes and Sachs that the hemolytic 

 principle of cobra venom is much more resistant to the deteriorating effect 

 of boiling when heated together with a small quantity of hydrochloric acid. 

 He also found that the hemolysin (as well. as neurotoxin) is so modified by 

 this acid that the specific antitoxin now becomes unable to combine with this 

 principle in the acidified medium. Even the neutral mixture of the lysin and 

 antitoxin is split up by the acid into its original components. If the action 

 of the acid has not continued too long the removal of the acid restores to the 

 lysin its original affinity towards antitoxin. 



Morgenroth and Pane 5 followed up the study of the effects of hydrochloric 

 acid upon the haemolysin of cobra venom. They observed that when cobra 

 venom in an acid medium containing about N/ 20 HC1 is heated for a long time 

 and its hemolytic power is tested immediately after cooling and neutraliza- 



1 Recently Morgenroth made a statement that this experiment was a mistake, on the grounds that 



cholesterin antagonizes the haemolytic action of venom Iecithid, the ready hemolysin. To 

 my mind such a criticism is invalid. First of all we must admit that the resultant Iecithid is 

 in proportion to the amount of lecithin acted upon by venom. The amoumt of lecithin is the 

 source of Iecithid to be formed by the action of venom; hence, if the amount of venom present 

 is sufficient, the quantity of the Iecithid produced is directly proportional to lecithin previously 

 present. In other words, the experiment has shown that the inhibitory action of cholesterin 

 is directed against the activated lysin. 



2 Goebel. Contribution a 1' etude de 1' agglutination par le venin de cobra. C. r. de la Soc. Biol., 1905. 



Contribution a l'ftude de l'hemolyse par le venin de cobra. Loc. cit., 1903. 

 s Pascucci. Die Zusammensetzung des Blutscheibenstromas und die Hamolyse. II Mittheil. Die 



Wirkung von Blutgiften auf Membranen aus Lecithin und Cholesterin. Hofm. Beitr. zur 



chem. Physiol, und Pathol., 1005, VI, 552. 

 4 Morgenroth. Ueber die Wiedergewinnung von Toxin aus seiner Antitoxinverbindung. Berl. klin. 



Woch., 199s, XLII, 1550. 

 8 Morgenroth and Pane. Ueber Beobachtungen reversibler Veranderungen an Toxinen. Biochemische 



Zeitschrift 1906, I, 354. 



