Abstract
Heloderma suspectum is naturally immune against subcutaneous injection of its own venom. We endeavored to contribute to an analysis of the mechanism of this immunity through a study of the conditions that determine the fixation of the venom by suspension of various organs and of inorganic and organic substances in vitro. Such investigations also promised to become of importance for an understanding of the difference in the toxic action of the venom in various animals. The following are the principal results we obtained.
1. Carmine and charcoal both adsorb a relatively large quantity of venom, but comparing the adsorbing power of equal volumes of carmine and charcoal, charcoal is found to adsorb considerably more venom than carmine. The fixation of venom on charcoal is very strong and no dissociation of the adsorbed substance is found to take place after injection of the charcoal containing the adsorbed venom into the animal body. Addition of a small amount of weak acid to the venom-charcoal mixture does not influence markedly the adsorption process, while addition of alkali interferes with the adsorption, diminishing the quantity of the adsorbed venom, and causing the adsorption to be less firm.
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