CREMATION. 747 



of alkaloids, possessing alkaline jiroperties, and having- similar 

 reactions to the alkalies, and resembling somewhat the 

 alkaloids of the vegetable kingdom. 



These alkaloidal bodies, called ptomaines and leucomaines, 

 have been discovered in several of the infectious diseases, as 

 typhoid fever, scarlet fever, anthrax, &c. The ptomaines are 

 found in decomposing animal tissues, and leacomai'nes in the 

 living body, both resulting from the decomposition of 

 albuminous substances. 



Besides these alkaloidal bodies there are uncrystallisable 

 substances which are found associated with the others, and are 

 more or less intensely poisonous. 



All these products are more or less poisonous, and they 

 poison the system in a similar manner to the microbes which 

 produce them. Possibly the action of pathogenic micro- 

 organisms may be due to the poisonous substances evolved by 

 them in all cases, while the microbes themselves are the means 

 of setting up fresh foci of infection. 



As alkaloidal bodies (leucomaines) are found in urine in 

 health as well as in disease, they may be regarded as excretory 

 products which may become poisonous to the system if not 

 sufficiently eliminated. 



Besides these alkaloidal bodies, microbes secrete a special 

 substance, which has a diastatic action upon albuminoids — 

 acting u])on them like a ferment and it is found that this 

 ferment produces the same jioisonous effect upon the system 

 as the microbes which secrete it. The whole subject is 

 surrounded with obscurity, but investigators have shown that 

 pathogenic microbes not only can produce infection themselves, 

 but that they also produce poisonous alkaloids as well as 

 special ferments which bring about the same result. 



3.— CREMATION : HOW FAR IS ITS ADOPTION 

 DESIRABLE IN AUSTRALASIA ? 



By T. JAMES, M.R.C.S, Load., Moonta, South Australia. 



Cremation as a step in sanitary reform is a practice as yet 

 of very limited adoption in civilised communities. It is a 

 method for the disposal of the dead, however, when prac- 

 tised under proper conditions and restrictions, which sani- 

 tarians deem faultless in respect to physical results. The 

 most approved cremation, as you are aware, is a process 



