capillaries. One of the most alarming symptoms ensuing from the bite of 
a pit viper is the enormous swelling and extravasation of blood around the 
wound. The blood escapes from the blood vessels through holes in the walls, 
Hom le welllsmer the Wessellc) aremecall In, (aissolyed an jpillacies|.) Red blood” 
cells as well as white escape upon dissolution of the walls of the blood 
vessels. 
The venoms of different species of snakes dissolve the red blood cells 
also in a similar fashion. This cell—dissolving substance, which has a 
peculiarly destructive effect on red blood cells, is called hemolysin. in 
dogs inoculated with venom the hemoglobin contained in the red blood cells 
readily crystallizes, It has been found in animals dying from retention 
Of urine, after being batten, that the tubules of the kidneys are often 
completely blocked with hemoglobin crystals. The activities of the white 
blood cells (leucocytes) also are suspended by the action of the venom. 
Moreover, it has been found that venom contains elements that are ag- 
glutinating as well as dissolving for the white cells and that these are 
distinet from those that affect the red blood cells. 
Biochemical studies have shown that snake venom possesses four dis-— 
tinct classes of ferment-like substances apart from the cell dissolvers 
(cytolysins). These are the fibrin ferment and the proteolytic, diastatic, 
and lipolytic enzymes. One of the most remarkable effects of both rattle-— 
snake and moccasin bites is the loss or the reduction in ability of the 
blood to coagulate; it has been found that venom contains a powerful fer-— 
ment that attacks the fibrin (the coagulating element) of the blood. The 
proteolytic enzyme of snake venom softens the muscles; the diastatic 
enzyme activates the inactive pancreatic juice, enabling it energetically 
to attack albuminoids; and the third enzyme has a feeble lipolytic (fat 
dissolving) action in splitting lecithin and in causing fatty degeneration 
in the liver. 
The quantity of venom yielded at any one time by our venomous snakes 
Varies, in general, in proportion to the size and age of the snake, the 
length of the period of fasting or hibernation, and certain environmental 
conditions. The pit vipers never inject the entire contents of their 
glands, at a2 single thrust, the amount injected varying from 25 to 75 per— 
Cen Of the toval, usually ‘being about 50) percent. 
Mitchell published the following observations on the quantity of venom 
yielded by four rattlesnakes: 
Length, 18 inches; weight, 9-1/2 ounces; capacity of gland, 11 drops. 
Length, 25 inches; weight, 18 ounces; capacity of gland, 19 drops. 
Length, 49-1/2 imehess (weet). 3) pounds 2) olmees;) capacaby Of \ gland) 
29 Geos. 
Length, 8-1/2 feet; ejected 1-1/2 drams of venom at single bite. 
The actual quantity ef venom injected into a victim depends largely on 
the size of the snake, the length of time during which its supply has been 
accumulating, tme depth to which the fang is thrust into the flesh, and the 
location of une bite. In the majority of cases, human beings recover with— 
out any treatment, because the quantity of venom injected is not a fatal 
dose. 
