Reviews

255

PEAa CHavaxxta, A., VILLAREJOS, V. M . and ZOAiEIIt, M. (Louisiana State UniversityInternational Center for Medical Research and Training, San Josó, Costa Rica). Clinicalimportance of prothrombin time determination in snake-venom poisoning. Anr . J, trop . Med.

Hyg. 19, 324, 1970 .MEASUREMENT Of the prothrombin activity of plasma is a good index of the severity of envenomationfollowing bites by Bothrops snakes and is an indicator of theeffectiveness of antivenin therapy. Prothrombintíme determinations by the method of Quíck were done every 8 hr on 26 patients bitten by Bothrops snakes .In all cases, the prothrombin time was initially less than 5 per cent of normal or fell to this level duringthe first 8 hr after admission to the hospital . Administration of antivenin caused prothrombin time toreturn to near normal levels within 40 hr. This paralleled clinical improvement . When the prothrombinlevel remains at 80 per cent or more of normal for 24 hr, there is no need for further administration ofantivenin.

S.A.M .

HASHIMOTO, Y., FusETaNr,N. and KrnaU~ta, S. (Laboratory of Marine Biochemistry, Facultyof Agriculture, University of Tokyo) . Aluterin : a toxin of filefish, Alutera scripta, probablyoriginating from a zoantharian, Palythoa tuberculosa . Bull . Jap . Soc, scient . Fish . 3501),

1086, 1969 .

A WATER-SOLUBLE tOXin designated as aluterin was found in the viscera and gut contents of the filefish,Alutera scripta, which has been believed to have the toxic viscera in Okinawa and Saipan. The ingestedmaterials of one specimen showing amoderate toxicity were mainly composed of the crushed zoantharianidentified as Palythoa tuberculosa . The zoantharian was then demonstrated to be toxic and to contain atoxin not distinguishable from aluterin . The preparation of toxicity as high as 006 l.~g per g was obtainedfrom it by a simple procedure. These results may suggest that the filefish becomes toxic from feeding onthe toxic zoantharian .

B.W.H .

SHIBATA, M . and HASHIMOTO, Y, (Laboratory of Marine Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo) . Purification of the ivory shell toxin. Bull . Jap . Sac . scient.

Fish . 36(1), 115, 1970.

THE rvoRV shell toxin was purified by using gel filtration with Sephadex G-25 and silica gel columnchromatography. The purified specimen evoked a minimum mydriasis in mice at a dose of about 002wg/g body weight . The purified toxin was only positive in the ferric chloride reaction, although manyqualitative tests were carried out. It was thought to be a polyfunctional, highly oxygenated, complex bromocompound having a relatively low molecular weight . The purified toxin evoked the similar symptomsin a cat as did the raw mid-gut gland.

B.W.H .

RUS4ELL, F. E. (University of Southern California) . Crotalidae of the Western Hemisphere .Herpeton 4, 1, 1969 .

THE author presents a classification of the crotalids of the Western Hemisphere based on morphologicalconsiderations and disc electrophoresis data. Included are the common names and general distribution .

This listing is well prepared and a handy reference work for both herpetologists and toxinologists.It remains to be seen whether chemical components of snake vennms provide an additional and useful toolin taxonomy . As the author mentions, such data may have their value but they are also likely to havetheir limitations . Nevertheless, the paper raises serious questions about the taxonomy of several ratherconfusing species and may stimulate needed reexamination of these snakes .

J,A.E .