A  m.  Jour.  Pharm.  ] 
July,  1890.  J 
Active  Principles  of  Jequirity. 
351 
The  actions  ascribable  to  this  globulin  are  the  production  of  local 
oedema  and  inflammation  when  subcutaneously  injected  or  applied 
to  the  eye,  the  presence  post "  mortem  of  petechias  beneath  the  serous 
membranes,  and  the  occurrence  of  hemorrhagic  gastro-enteritis.  It 
also  produces  a  remarkable  fall  of  body  temperature  after  subcu- 
taneous injection,  and  in  lethal  doses,  it  causes  rapidity  of  breathing 
shortly  before  death.  It  has  little  or  no  effect  on  blood  pressure. 
The  activity  of  this  globulin  is  destroyed  by  heating  the  solution  to 
75°  or  8o°,  the  temperature  at  which  it  enters  into  the  condition  of 
a  heat  coagulum. 
In  a  second  paper  {Ibid.,  pp.  100-108)  S.  Martin  describes  the 
toxic  action  of  the  albumose  which  was  obtained  by  precipitating  the 
proteids  of  the  seeds  by  means  of  alcohol.  The  precipitate  was 
allowed  to  remain  under  absolute  alcohol  for  several  months;  the 
globulin  was  thus  rendered  insoluble;  the  albumose,  however,  was 
freely  soluble  in  water  after  this  treatment.  It  gave  the  following 
reactions :  The  aqueous  solution  was  neutral  to  litmus-paper,  and 
gave  no  precipitate  on  boiling.  Acetic  acid  and  also  nitric  acid 
gave  precipitates  which  dissolved  on  heating,  and  reappeared  on 
cooling.  Copper  sulphate  gave  a  precipitate  soluble  in  excess  of 
the  reagent-  Copper  sulphate  and  potash  gave  a  "  biuret  "  reaction. 
Mercuric  chloride  gave  a  precipitate  insoluble  in  excess  of  the 
reagent.  The  symptoms  produced  by  the  albumose  closely  resem- 
ble those  noticed  when  the  globulin  is  hypodermically  injected. 
There  is  gradually  increasing  weakness,  with  rapid  breathing  and 
lowering  of  body  temperature,  but  no  convulsions  or  paralysis.  It 
also  causes  severe  conjunctivitis  when  applied  to  the  eye.  Its 
poisonous  properties  are  lessened  by  heating  at  70-75 °,  and  com- 
pletely destroyed  at  85 °. 
The  albumose  is  not,  however,  so  powerful  a  toxic  agent  as  the 
globulin,  the  dose  necessary  to  produce  the  same  effects  being 
larger. 
A  comparison  is  drawn  between  the  action  of  these  proteids  and 
those  of  other  poisonous  substances  of  the  same  class,  especially 
those  in  snake-venom. 
The  following  table  contrasts  the  activicy  of  the  venom  of  various 
snakes  and  of  Abrus  : 
Common  adder. — Fatal  dose  in  man,  0-0021  gram  per  kilo,  of 
body  weight  (Fontana). 
