THE PTOMAINES AND SOLUBLE FERMENTS 317 



Muscarine (C 5 H 3 N0 2 ). Brieger isolated this 

 ptomaine from putrid fish. It also occurs in the 

 poisonous mushroom (Agaricus muscarius). Mus- 

 carine is a crystalline deliquescent substance, which 

 acts on the muscular tissues. 



Gadinine (C 7 H 16 N0 2 ) was obtained by Brieger, 

 along with muscarine, from putrefying cod-fish. It 

 forms double salts with the chlorides of hydrogen, 

 gold, and platinum. 



Mytilotoxine (C 7 H 15 N0 2 ) was isolated by Brieger 

 from decomposing mussel, and it is the active agent 

 in mussel-poisoning. 



Typhotoxine (C 7 H 17 N0 2 ). This ptomaine was ex- 

 tracted by Brieger from pure cultivations of the 

 typhoid bacillus. It has an alkaline reaction, and 

 forms crystallisable salts with phosphotungstic acid 

 and the chlorides of hydrogen and gold. It is be- 

 lieved to be the chemical poison in typhoid fever. 



In 1886 Brieger obtained an isomeride of this 

 base from flesh which had undergone bacterial 

 putrefaction. Although this substance has the 

 same empirical formula as typhotoxine, they are 

 entirely different ptomaines. 



Scarlatinine (C 5 H 12 N0 4 ). This ptomaine was ex- 

 tracted by the author * from the urine of patients 

 suffering from scarlet fever, as well as from pure 

 cultivations of Micrococcus scarlatince. It is a white 

 crystalline body, which is soluble in water, and has 

 a faint alkaline reaction. It forms double salts 



1 Griffiths in Comptes Rendus de I'Acaddmie des Sciences. 

 vol. cxiii. p. 656; Proc. R.S.E., vol. xix. p. 97. 



