314 A MANUAL OF BACTERIOLOGY 



is a very poisonous base, and it is produced when 

 Finkler's spirillum is allowed to live upon sterilised 

 beef along with putrefactive microbes. This sub- 

 stance is believed to be the cause of cholera 

 nostras. 



Spermine (C 2 H 5 N) or dimethylenimide (CH 2 ) 2 NH 

 occurs in the seminal fluid of animals, and accord- 

 ing to Schreiner it is produced in cultivations of the 

 tubercle bacillus, but the author could not detect 

 the least trace of this base in pure cultivations of 

 Bacillus tuberculosis. 



EtJiylenediamine (C 2 H 8 N 2 ). In 1885, Brieger ex- 

 tracted this ptomaine from cod-fish after bacterial 

 putrefaction. It forms crystallisable double salts 

 with the chlorides of hydrogen and platinum. 



Tetanotoxin (C 5 H n N). This ptomaine was ex- 

 tracted by Brieger from pure cultivations of the 

 tetanus bacillus. It is a colourless liquid which 

 boils at 100 C., and possesses a disagreeable odour. 

 When it is injected into animals it produces tremor 

 and paralysis, followed by violent convulsions. 



Methylamines. Methylamine CH 3 NH 2 , dimethyl- 

 amine (CH 3 ) 2 NH, and trimethylamine (CH 3 ) 3 N, 

 have been extracted from the tissues of various 

 animals. Triethylamine (C 2 H 5 ) 3 N and propylamine 

 C 3 H 7 NH 2 have been obtained from putrified animal 

 substances. While Gautier and Mourgues extracted 

 ptomaines, having the composition of butylamine 

 C 4 H 9 NH 2 , amylamine C 5 H n NH 2 , and hexylamine 

 C 6 H 13 NH 2 from cod-liver oil. These bases are 

 poisonous. 



Scombrine (C 17 H 38 N 4 ). This base was discovered 



