122 



for hydrogen, we j»et a volatile alkaloid tri-mclhyl-aminc, a colourless liquid with a 

 powerful fishy odour ; in fact it is the cause of the smell of decayed fish, and is 

 extractible from herring-roes, from cray-fish, and from other fishy sources. It is 

 also found in the flowers of Cratcecius oxtiacantha, Cratcec/us monofjyna, Pyrus 

 aucuparia and communis, Chenopodinm vulvaria, and in some odorous fungi, 

 especially Ergot of rye, and in putrefying yeast. Probably Phallus impudicus 

 and Clathrus caneellatus owe their odour to trimethylamine. 



Tlie formula of trimethylamine is N (CH 3 ).j or C., Hg N. This group itself 

 forms the nucleus of a series of alkaloids differing from one another by two atoms 

 of hydrogen : — 



Betaine, C^ H., [N (CH^^g ] 0^, or C^ Hjj NO^. 



Muscarine," c/Hj [N (0^3)3 ]"(0H)^, or C^ H^^ NOj. 



Amanitine, Cj H^ [N (CHglg] (OH)^ or Cg Hj^ NO^. 



Betaine occurs in Beta vulyaris and Lycium barbarum, but has not yet been 

 found in fungi. 



Muscarine, C. H,3 NO.,, was discovered by Schmeideberg about 1873. In 

 the " Chemische Centrallilatt " of 1876, p. 554, occurs his paper establishing 

 its composition and artificial production. It occurs together with amanatine 

 in Am. muscaria. The juice is evaporated, treated with alcohol, and then with 

 lead acetate. After a long and complicated process the hydrochlorides of 7nuscarine 

 and amanitine are obtained, and are separated by pressing with paper, which absorbs 

 the more deliquescent muscarine salt, and leaves the amanitine. The yield is very 

 small, as 2 lbs. of the alcoholic extract (representing a very much larger quantity 

 of the fungus, perhaps about 40 or 50 lbs. ) gave only about | oz. of muscarine. 



Muscarine forms a colourless inodorous syrup, crystallizing with great diffi- 

 culty, easily soluble in water and alcohol, sparingly in chloroform, and not solu- 

 ble in ether. It is strongly alkaline, forms crystallizable deliquescent salts, and is 

 a strong narcotic, in some resjsects antagonistic to atropia. [Later researches 

 show that this antagonism of physiological effect is not complete ; there are lateral 

 actions of each poison which may make a combined dose of each more fatal than 

 the same quantity of either separately, so that its action as au antidote must be 

 carefully watched.] Muscarine has not been obtained from any other natural 

 source, but can be made artificially from amanitine. 



Amanitine, Cr H,- NO., is identical with the animal bases choline and 

 neurine. Its sources are : — 



1. Am. mitscaria, hence the name amanitine. 



2. Bile, hence the name choline (Strecker). 



3. Brain and nerve tissue, hence the name neurine. 



4. From eggs and the milt of the salmon, &c. 



5. It can be prepared artificially by a complicated process. 



It is only of late years that the identity of these products has been proved. 

 Amanitine is chemically called — 



" 'LViraethyloxethylammonium hydrate." 



It is a white crystalline substance similar to nuiscarine, but not so deliquescent, 

 and not so poisonous. 



