io8 THE SIMPLER NATURAL BASES 



Putrefaction Bases. 



In addition to the amines of Chapter I and some other bases 

 mentioned in the previous chapters a large number of less well char- 

 acterised putrefaction bases have been described. A few of these 

 may be mentioned here : 



Viridine, C 8 H 12 O 3 N 2 , was obtained by Ackermann [1908, 2] from 

 putrid pancreas. The hydrochloride has an intense green colour ; on 

 heating the odour of quinone is perceptible. The aurichloride is 

 blackish green to yellow and melts at 176 ; the platinichloride is intense 

 yellow and melts at 212-216. 



Marcitine, C 8 H 19 N 3 , also obtained by Ackermann [1907, 2] from 

 putrid pancreas, gives an aurichloride C 8 H 19 N 3 , 2HAuCl 4 melting at 

 175-178. It is perhaps a guanidine derivative. 



Putrine, C U H 26 O 3 N 2 , likewise isolated by Ackermann [1907, 2] from 

 putrid pancreas, gives a dark orange aurichloride melting at 109-110. 

 The formula of this base contains one carbon atom and two oxygen 

 atoms less than the so-called diamino-trihydroxy-dodecanic acid 

 C 12 H 26 O 5 N 2 of Fischer and Abderhalden from which it is perhaps de- 

 rived by decarboxylation. 



Skatosine, C 10 H l6 O 2 N 2 , has been described by Baum [1903] and 

 Swain [1903] as a product of pancreatic autolysis. It is stated to 

 give a benzoyl derivative melting at 169 and a hydrochloride forming 

 leaflets melting at 345. To the latter the improbable formula 

 C 10 Hi 6 O 2 N 2 , 3HC1 was given. Mr. A. J. Ewins (private communica- 

 tion) has lately failed to obtain this base by Baum's process. 



The Active Principle of the Pituitary Body. 



Soon after their discovery of the pressor action of supra-renal ex- 

 tracts Oliver and Schafer [i 895, 3] found that an extract of the pituitary 

 body or hypophysis cerebri (a small appendage at the base of the brain) 

 has the power of raising the blood pressure, when injected intravenously. 

 The active principle is only contained in the infundibular or posterior 

 lobe of this organ. At first stress was laid in the literature on the 

 similarity of the action to that of adrenaline, and some authors even 

 imagined that the two active principles must have a similar chemical 

 constitution. During the last few years pituitary extracts have come 

 more and more into therapeutic use on account of their great power of 

 producing contractions of the uterus, and the isolation of the active 

 principle has been attempted. Although these attempts have perhaps 

 not been wholly successful as yet, they seem to prove that the active 

 substance is a base ; little else is definitely known about its chemical 



