88 HIS TOL OG Y OF NU TRIE NT FL UIDS. 



many experiments have been made in order to isolate the 

 chemical constituents of decomposing nitrogenous substances, 

 as in poisonous sausage or cheese. 



Selmi, in 1872, read a paper before the Academy of Sciences 

 at Bologna, describing experiments which enabled him to 

 identify and characterize the ptomaines of cadaveric matter, 

 and since then there have been important contributions to 

 medical literature respecting it. 



The following is a list of the more important ptomaines and 

 leucomaines : 



1. Cadaveric alkaloids, or ptomaines formed during putre- 

 faction of muscles and viscera of mammals, (i) Clwline, ob- 

 tained from ox bile in 1849. ^ * s n t poisonous, save in large 

 doses, when it acts like muscardine. After seven days it is 

 decomposed into other substances (2) Neuridine, a base 

 which appears three days after death. (3) Other bases, called 

 cadaveric putrescine and saprine are also non-poisonous. (4) 

 Among the poisonous alkaloids we find mygdalein, neurine, 

 mydine, mydatoxine, methylquanidine . 



2. Ptomaines from putrid fish, as mnscarine, identical with 

 the alkaloid from the fungus agaricus muscarius and gadinine 



3. Ptomaines from cheese. Tyrotoxicon. 



4. Ptomaines from poisonous mussels, as mytilotoxine , and the 

 non-poisonous betainc or oxyneurine. 



5. Leucomaines produced in the normal living body, Crca- 

 tinine, which with others produces uraemic poisoning. Sala- 

 mandrine from the poisonous secretion of the salamander. 

 (Some think serpent poison due to some alkaloid.) Xantho- 

 creatine, adenine, etc. 



6. Peptic alkaloids. A solution of peptone, produced by the 

 action of pepsin on albuminoids, produces symptoms of poison- 

 ing when injected into the circulation. This led to the thought 

 that cadaveric poison might be due to peptone, and Brieger 

 has separated from peptone, made by the action of pepsin on 

 fresh fibrin, a poisonous substance called peptotoxine. 



7. Pathogenic ptomaines. The ptomaine of Asiatic cholera 

 is said to have been isolated by Villiers and others, and the 

 ptomaines of typhus and of tetanus by Brieger. The subject 

 is yet in an experimental stage. 



