[17] POISONING BY RED CODFISH. 1043 



Tins study of the ptomaines from a toxicological point of view has 

 been continued in France by Messrs. Brouardel and Boutmy. In 1881 

 Messrs. A. Gauthier and Etard, taking up Selmi's work, isolated the 

 products from a large number of putrefying fish from the volatile bases 

 belonging to the pyritic series, which were the first of these interesting 

 compounds to be analyzed. The physiological action of these alkaloids 

 varies greatly; some are only poisonous for animals, while others pro- 

 duce symptoms similar to those produced by strychnine, morphine, and 

 vera trine. 



Our knowledge of these substances, some of which are extremely 

 poisonous, is still very rudimentary. A large number, however, of new 

 and well-established facts have increased our knowledge since 1850, 

 when Stas, in connection with the celebrated Boearme affair, discovered 

 a method of separating the alkaloids, which bears his name. But, on 

 the other hand, many new alkaloids have been discovered since that 

 time whose poisonous character has hardly been demonstrated, or which 

 as yet has not been shown at all. Mr. Duvillier, professor of chemistry 

 in the medical school of Algiers, has discovered a large number of these 

 cadaveric alkaloids in the flesh of spoiled codfish, which Dr. Berther- 

 and had submitted to him for analysis in 1878. This chemist by follow- 

 ing the Stas method succeeded in obtaining the characteristic reaction 

 of ptomaines (precipitate of Prussian blue by prussiate of potash and 

 perchlorate of iron). 



Mr. Degorce, principal pharmacist of the navy, did not obtain the 

 same result in his examination of spoiled codfish from the port of L'Ori- 

 ent. He says in his report to Mr. Berenger-Feraud: "50 grams of cod- 

 fish, taken from those parts of the fish which were rose-colorgd, were 

 treated according to the Stas method, and did not show any traces of 

 organic alkaloids or ptomaines." This negative result is not surprising. 

 It is, on the contrary, only another proof that the poisonous substance 

 of spoiled codfish is not found in its red portions; and it is more than 

 probable that, if this chemist had sought for ptomaines, not in the red 

 portions, but in the positively putrid flesh of the codfish, he would have 

 found them. 



Other experiments have confirmed the presence of ptomaines in putre- 

 fied codfish. Brieger discovered, besides the alkaloids which are gener- 

 ally found in spoiled articles of animal food, a particular ptomaine, 

 which he has called gadinine. Mr. Brieger has made experiments on 

 ptomaines developed in digested fibrine, in spoiled milk, putrefied fish, 

 spoiled cheese and gelatine, and putrefied yeast. According to him, 

 putrefied milk produces a poisonous base neurine, and a non-poisonous 

 base neuridine. The poisonous quality of murine is ten times stronger 

 than that of choline. Neurine is the characteristic alkaloid of putrefied 

 meat. In the long run, these alkaloids are destroyed by the process of 

 putrefaction. Decayed tish produces neuridine, diamine ethylene, mus- 

 carine, similar to that of mushrooms, and a new base, gadinine and 



