RESULTS or (;.\sTi,'<)-i\Ti:sr/\\/. imoxkatios 585 



which is easily oxidizt'd into a lii^^lily poisonous eoiiipoiiiid, isomeriu 

 with luuscariite, of hy h)sin<i- a mok'cule of water it forms ncurine, 



(C'll3),= X — ('11 - L'U,, 



Oil 



which is also very poisonous (discussed under ^'Ptomai'ns, " Chap. iv.). 

 It has been demonstrated by Nesbitt "" that in the contents of ob- 

 structed intestines of dogs that have been fed lecithin-rich food (eggs) 

 both choline and neurine may be found free, and Kutscher and Loh- 

 mann "* have found neurine in human urine. It seems possible that 

 some of the toxic effects observed after eating excessively of such 

 food. as calves' brains, or eggs, may depend upon intoxication with 

 the products of lecithin decomposition. Also, the normal presence 

 of trimethj^lamine in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (Doree and 

 Golla)"'' may be from this source. Hunt,''^"'' who has done extensive 

 Avork with choline, states that at present we have no grounds for 

 believing that choline has any significance in physiological or patho- 

 logical processes. There is no evidence that the highly active acetyl- 

 choline •'^'' is produced from choline in the body, but in view of the 

 enormous toxicity of this choline derivative there must always be con- 

 sidered the possibility that such toxic choline compounds may at times 

 develop in amounts too small to be detected but large enough to cause 

 severe effects. 



RESULTS OF GASTRO-INTESTINAL INTOXICATION 



As we have seen from the above, but few of the known products of 

 gastro-intestinal putrefaction are toxic to any considerable degree, 

 and these are probably produced in too small quantities to cause any 

 appreciable effect, especially in view of the detoxicating and elimi- 

 natory powers of the liver, kidney, and other organs. And yet we 

 have abundant clinical evidence that excessive intestinal putrefaction 

 or retention of the intestinal contents causes marked disturbance in 

 health. The slight malaise, headache, and lassitude observed as the 

 result of simple constipation may possibly be adequately accounted for 

 by intoxication with indole and similar substances, although we have 

 no conclusive proof that such is the case. Two explanations may be 

 suggested : One is that the intestinal flora becomes altered because of 

 the changed conditions, and bacteria thrive that produce specific 

 soluble toxic substances, analogous to those formed by B. botulinus, 

 or similar to the tyrotoxicon (Vaughan) that may be formed in milk 



63 Jour. Exp. Mod., 1S99 (4), 1; see also Iloesslin, Hofmeister's Beitr., 190(> 

 (8), 27. 

 o-iZeit. physiol. Chem., 1906 (48), 1. 

 6-. Biochem. Jour.. 1910 (5), 306. 

 65a Jour. Pharmacol.. 191;) (7), nOl. 

 65b See Dale, Jour. Pharmaeol., 1914 (6), 147. 



