THE ALBUMINOUS POISONS. 305 



fungi will develop on nutrient media destitute of albumin and 

 there elaborate poisons synthetically. 



The fundamental differences between active albuminoids and 

 ptomaines are not confined to their production and composition/ 

 but extend also to their mode of action : the former behaving like 

 enzymes, and acting as a result of the lability of their atoms, so 

 that a small quantity of the active substance is able to induce 

 decomposition in a comparatively enormous mass of decomposable 

 material. On the other hand, the poisonous effect of the ptomaines 

 depends on the quantity coming into play, and increases therewith. 

 As is the case with enzymes, the active albumin is completely de- 

 prived of its powers by moist heat (100 C.), by which it is con- 

 verted into non-poisonous passive albumin ; whereas the ptomaines 

 remain undecomposed and undebilitated by the same treatment. 

 This fact is also of importance to the food-stuff chemist, since it 

 will restrain him from certifying a sample of suspected meat to 

 be innocuous merely because a negative result has been obtained 

 with the current alkaloid reactions. 



Many cases of meat-poisoning are probably due to the presence 

 and action of active albumin. A fuller insight into this matter 

 must first, however, be gained by investigation. Thus we find it 

 recorded by M. ARUSTAMOFF (I.) that in the Lower Volga district 

 the opinion prevails that only the consumption of uncooked fish 

 (salted sturgeon and salmon) is harmful. In view of the remarks 

 already made on the influence of heat on active albumin this 

 observation becomes intelligible. The danger resulting from the 

 presence of living bacteria in incompletely sterilised milk, and 

 their developing in the intestines of the nursing infant (see 125), 

 is probably in many cases due to active albumin formed by the 

 organisms. The author puts this interpretation on the results of 

 the experiments made by A. LUBBERT (I.) on this point. 



As was first established by MITCHELL and REICHERT (I.) in 1886, 

 it is to the presence of such active albumin that the effects of 

 snake-poison are due. Moreover, albuminous poisons are found 

 in the normal blood of different animals, a circumstance first estab- 

 lished by A. Mosso (I.) in the case of Mur&nidce, to which family 

 the common eel belongs. A list of fishes naturally containing 

 poison has been drawn up by J. POHL (I.). Poisonous albuminoids 

 are likewise found in various plants, e.g. abrin in the seeds of the 

 paternoster pea (seeds of the wild liquorice, Abrus precatorius\ 

 ricin in the seeds of Ricinus communis, and many others. 



The reaction between the animal body and bacteria is reciprocal. 

 Just as the latter are able to excrete noxious metabolic products, 

 the effect of which on the infected animal body is manifested as 

 disease, so also the former can elaborate substances having a 

 poisonous effect on the parasitic micro-organisms. The normal and 

 continuous presence of such protective albuminoids, or alexines, 

 as they are called, in the blood, is the cause of the natural immu- 



VOL. I. U 



