The non-bacillar nature of abrus-poison : with observations on its chemical and physiological properties / by L.A. Waddell.

  • Waddell, L. A. (Laurence Austine), 1854-1938.
Date:
1884
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The non-bacillar nature of abrus-poison : with observations on its chemical and physiological properties / by L.A. Waddell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    relative amount and energy of these various elements than in any distinct qualitative peculiarities.” But in addition to these three proteids, snake-poison contains a crystallizable and very active non-albuminous constituent. Blyth(l) found that after the proteids had been removed by precipitation with alcohol and filtration, the resulting alcoholic extract yielded crystals having a markedly acid reaction and toxic properties. To this substance he applied the name cobric acid provisionally. Mr. A. Pedler also states (2) that he found the alcoholic extract very active. Alcohol precipitated about 60 per cent, of albuminous matter from the fresh poison, and the remaining 40 per cent, was soluble in alcohol. The alcoholic extract was 50 to 100 times more active than the albuminous precipitate (3). The very great rapidity with which snake-poison acts, and which so strongly contrasts with the slower action of abrin, would thus appear to be due to the fact that one of its consti- tuents is crystalline and readily absorbed. And amongst its proteid constituents venom-peptone would also be readily dialysable, and so would rapidly induce poisoning symptoms. Putting aside, then, from the phenomena of snake-poisoning those sudden effects which may be reasonably attributed to this crystalline principle and to the readily dialysable peptone, we have left two proteid constituents which are more or less comparable to abrin as regards their rate of absorption. And it is doubtless to one or other of these two latter constituents that snake-poison owes whatever resemblance it bears to abrus-poison. (1) Analyst for 28th February 1877. (2) Trans. Roy. Soc., p. 19, 1878. (8) Dr. Weir Mitchell, the latest exponent of snake-poison, is apparently unaware of this fact, that at least one variety ol snake-poison, viz., cobra venom, has been shown to contain an intensely active crystalline principle which is not of an albuminous nature. When this fact is recognized, it will be evident that the method adopted by Weir Mitchell is insufficient to remove all this poison from the dialyser, so that his ‘ venom-globulin ’ and albumin as well as the {venom-peptone ’ must have been contam- inated with this poison. The first thing to do is to separate out this active non- albuminous constituent; and as it is said to be crystalline, there ought to be compara- tively little difficulty in isolating it and testing its physiological action. The proteids which are left might then be obtained in a more or less pure state by dialysis or otherwise, and their individual properties tested. We are undertaking an analysis of cobra-poison on the lines just now indicated, and will publish the results in due course.