BIOCHEMISTRY OF THE SEXUAL ORGANS 285 



4. The so-called " sympexions " of Robin, oval concrements 

 of a wax-like substance, the nature of which is not known. 1 

 The crystalline substances appear only when the semen is 

 inspissated. They present various forms prisms, rosettes, &c., 

 and are sometimes called " Bottcher's spermine crystals." 

 They are insoluble in alcohol, ether, and chloroform, soluble in 

 hot water, in formol, dilute alkalies and alkali carbonates, and 

 in dilute acids. They are coloured black by a solution of 

 iodine in potassium iodide (Florence's reagent). Like many 

 ammonium-bases spermine gives a characteristic colour reac- 

 tion with alloxan. 2 On evaporating a solution of spermine to 

 which a saturated solution of alloxan has been added, a red 

 colour appears, which changes into violet on the addition 

 of alkali. The spermine crystals are not identical, as was 

 formerly believed, with the crystals found in the blood of 

 leucaBmic patients (" Zenker's crystals "), or with the " Charcot- 

 Leyden crystals " which occur in the sputum of asthmatic 

 persons. 



Their chemical nature is still a matter of doubt. According 

 to Schreiner, they are the phosphate of an organic base spermine, 

 C 2 H 5 N, which Ladenburg and Abel 3 believed to be Aethylenimin 

 C 2 H 4 NH. This is disputed, however, by Majert and Schmidt, 

 who ascribe to the base the formula C 5 H 14 N 2 , and by Poehl, 4 

 who has attributed very remarkable properties to this substance. 



According to Poehl, spermine is possessed of marked pharma- 

 cological properties, and has a powerful influence on the meta- 

 bolism. It is recommended by Poehl as a valuable therapeutic 

 agent. His statements have not been confirmed by other ob- 

 servers for example Dixon 5 and his views are now not 

 generally accepted. 



1 Cohen, " Die krystallinischen Bildungen ties mannlichen Genitaltraktus," 

 Cenlralfjlatt f. allg. Pathologic u. pathol. Anatomic, vol. x., 1899. (This paper 

 gives a very complete bibliography.) 



2 Poehl, " Weitere Mitteilungen iiber Spermin," Berlinir klin. Wochen- 

 schrift, 1891. 



3 Ladenburg and Abel, " ttber das Aethylenimin," Her. der deutschen 

 chem. Oesellschaft, vol. xxi., 1888. 



4 Poehl, Die Physiologisch-Chemischen Grundlagen der Spermintherapie, 

 Petersburg, 1898. 



5 Dixon, " The Composition and Action of Orchitic Extracts," Journal of 

 Physiology, vol. xxvi., 1901. 



