PTOMAINES AND PTOMAINE POISONING 403 



Brieger isolated from a putrid mixture a ptomaine (peptotoxin) which 

 he was unable to find when the putrefaction was more advanced. 



The symptoms of ptomaine poisoning vary in kind and severity, 

 depending on the nature and quantity of the poison consumed. These 

 may be wholly or in part referable to the gastro-intestinal system. As a 

 result we may have vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, 

 usually attended with great prostration. In a majority of the cases 

 there is evidence of involvement of the central nervous system and in 

 some cases the symptoms are wholly of a nervous character. Prominent 

 among these are disturbances of vision and dryness of the mouth and 

 throat. There may be fever or a subnormal temperature. Very often 

 there is great weakness, rapid pulse and a tendency to collapse. Other 

 symptoms which may or may not be present are vertigo, dyspnoea, con- 

 vulsions, delirium and various skin eruptions. In some cases the 

 symptoms simulate very closely poisoning by one of the vegetable 

 alkaloids. 



There is little room to doubt that many cases of acute illness are the 

 direct result of some form of bacterial poison consumed with the food 

 but which in isolated cases are not always recognized as such and often 

 called by other names. It might be said that this factor in causing 

 sickness finds but scant recognition save in those instances where a 

 number of persons in a community are similarly stricken at the same 

 time. 



The prophylaxis of ptomaine poisoning resolves itself into the pre- 

 vention as far as possible of the bacterial invasion and decomposition of 

 our foods and food products. Certain foods like chopped meats, cooked 

 potato and milk and the milk products lend themselves most readily to 

 the growth of microorganisms and for this reason are to be the more 

 carefully guarded. 



Canned goods, especially the canned meats, are frequently the 

 source of ptomaine poisoning. This results from the fact that they are 

 not always perfectly sterilized before sealing, and, being often held in 

 storage for a long time, an excellent opportunity is afforded for the 

 formation of putrefactive poisons. Canned goods should in no case be 

 consumed if there is any evidence of gas formation as shown by 

 " blown " cans or the escape of gas on opening the can or, if there is any 

 rancidity or putridity of the contents. 



Fish, oysters and other sea foods undergo putrefactive changes 

 very speedily and in so doing are very prone to form poisonous products. 

 Several of the ptomaines were first isolated from the decomposed flesh 

 of fish. Mitilotoxin (possibly a leucomaine), the most powerful of this 

 class of poisons, was first obtained from mussels. 



Great care should be taken to avoid eating fish or any of the sea 

 foods which show the slightest evidences of putrefaction. 



Heat of sufficiently high degree is destructive to all bacteria and is 



