FOODS: THEIR CLASSIFICATION \ \ I 



ptomain poisoning; the toxins formed are known as ptomains. The 

 chief symptom is the very pronounced gastro-intestinal upset. 

 This is beneficial in that it acts to rid the Body promptly of the 

 contaminated material, and so to reduce the amount of poison 

 absorbed. A second form of poisoning from bacterial decomposi- 

 tion is botulism, so named from its occasional occurrence in sausage. 

 The effect of this poison on the digestive tract is just opposite to 

 that of ptomain. It paralyzes instead of exciting; so the poisoned 

 mass is not expelled, but remains in the intestinal tract and allows 

 absorption to continue. For this reason botulism has ordinarily 

 much more serious effects than has ptomain. 



An additional type of food poisoning is that seen in individual 

 susceptibilities, or idiosyncracies. Some people are poisoned by 

 veal, others by shell fish, occasionally a case of susceptibility to egg 

 albumen is seen. Various other foods may act similarly. The 

 poisonous elements in these cases appear to be identical with the 

 lymphagogues described in a previous chapter (p. 385). The 

 lymphagogue action was there stated to show itself only in sus- 

 ceptible individuals. In general acute poisoning is probably -only 

 a more marked manifestation of the sensitiveness which takes 

 the form of increased permeability of the capillaries in those in 

 whom the action is purely that of a lymphagogue. 



