338 
Transactions of the Boyal Society of South Africa. 
This venom was haemolytic in vitro for horse blood as is proved by 
the following experiments : — 
Tube Number 
0"9 per cent. NaCl 
Snake-poison diluted with 
0-9 per cent. NaCl 1:4 
Blood, 5 drops 
Result after 45 minutes at 
37° Cels 
Result after 6 hours at 25° Cels. 
Addition of horse serum 
Result after 3 hours at 37° Ce!s. 
I. 
1 c.c. 
15 drops 
f washed 
1 horse blood 
0 
0 
1 c.c. 
f almost complete ) 
t haemolysis ) 
II. 
1 c.c. 
20 drops 
unwashed 
horse blood 
0 
complete 
haemolysis 
III. 
1 c.c. 
20 drops 
unwashed 
ox blood 
0 
distinct 
haemolysis 
Control. 
1 c.c. 
unwashed 
ox blood 
Snake- venom diluted with NaCl 1 : 4. 
In each tube 1 c.c. NaCl solution and 0*5 c.c. 5 per cent, emulsion of ox blood 3 times washed. 
Tube Number 
Poison solution 
Result after 8 hours' 
delay at room temp. 
Follows 
Added to the liquid 
unwashed ox blood 
Result after 3 hours 
at 37° Cels 
Added ox serum 
Result after 3 hours 
at 37° Cels 
3 drops 
0 
centrifug. 
0-5 c.c. 
0 
to the 
deposit 
1 c.c. 
0 
II. 
5 drops 
0 
centrifug. 
0-5 c.c. 
0 
to the 
deposit 
1 c.c. 
0 
III. 
drops 
1 c.c. 
0 
IV. 
10 drops 
1 c.c. 
0 
V. 
12 drops 
0 
centrifug. 
0-5 c.c. 
0 
to the 
deposit 
1 c.c. 
0 
Control. 
0 
Each tube contains 1 
Snake-venom diluted with NaCl 1 : 4. 
c.c. NaCl + 0-5 c.c. per cent, emulsion of horse blood 3 times 
washed. 
I. 
3 drops 
II. 
5 drops 
III. 
8 drops 
IV. 
10 drops 
V. 
12 drops 
Control. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
centrifug. 
0 
centrifug. 
0 
0 
1 c.c. 
slight 
haemolysis 
I 1 
i 
Ic.c. 1 
slight 
haemolysis 
0-5 c.c. 
almost 
complete 
haemolysis 
1 c.c. to 
the deposit 
distinct 
haemolysis 
0-5 c.c. 
almost 
complete 
haemolysis 
1 c.c. to 
the deposit 
complete 
haemolysis 
[ 1 c.c. 
distinct 
haemolysis 
} - 
Tube Number 
Venom solution 
Result after 8 hours' 
delay at 25° Cels.... 
Follows 
Added unwashed 
horse blood to the 
liquid 
Result after 3 hovirs 
at 37° Cels 
Added horse serum ... 
Result after 3 hours f 
at 37° Cels 1 
These experiments demonstrate : — 
(a) That original blood is easier dissolved by the puff-adder poison than 
previously washed blood ; that is to say, blood corpuscles without serum. 
{h) That horse blood is more susceptible than ox blood. 
(c) That the venom is absorbed by the horse-blood corpuscles and 
emphasises itself after addition of horse serum. 
Hence the venom alone has no haemolytic power. It contains a com- 
