480 



JACOB ROSEXBLOOM 



Baumann and Udransky isolated 0.2 0.4 gram .of diamin of which 

 % was cadaverin and % putrescin. 



Aside from a notice by Dambrowsky of a trace of pentamethylendia- 

 min in the residue from about 100 liters of normal human urine diamin 

 has never been isolated from the urine, feces or blood of healthy persons. 



Brieger has demonstrated the origin of diamin through the action 

 of putrefactive bacteria. Ubiquitous bacteria or specific microorganisms 

 such as cholera germs or the Prior-Finkler bacillus may be responsible. 

 Brieger's discovery was later extended by Ellinger. He determined the 

 particular protein building-stones from which the diamins were produced 

 through transforming lysin into pentamethylendiamin, and arginin, 

 namely its mother substance, diamino-valerianic acid ; into tetramethylin, 

 a transformation best made by anaerobic putrefaction. C. Neuberg 

 obtained the diamins, whose synthesis had previously been made by other 

 methods in a simpler manner, by purely chemical means from the appro- 

 priate protein cleavage products, namely, by subtraction of carbon dioxid. 



The following relations therefore exist between the diamino acids 

 and the diamins : 



CH 2 .NH 2 



CH 2 



CH 2 



CH 2 



CH.XH 2 



COOH 



Lysin 



CH 2 .NH 2 



CH 2 



CH 2 



CH 2 .NH 2 



I 

 COOH 



Ornithin 



C0 9 = 



CO, = 



CH.NH 2 

 CH 2 

 CH 2 

 CH 2 



CH 2 .NH 2 



Cadaverm 



CH 2 .NH 2 



I 

 CH 2 



CH 2 



CH 2 .NH 2 



Putrescin 



It is now considered tolerably certain that in the organism, also, both 

 diamins are formed from diamino acids. 



