24 BACTERIAL POISONS. 



In 1856 PANUM published a most important contribu- 

 tion to the knowledge of the nature of the poison present 

 in putrid flesh. He first demonstrated positively the 

 chemical character of the poison, inasmuch as he shown I 

 that the aqueous extract of the putrid material retained 

 its poisonous properties after treatment which would insure 

 the destruction of all organisms. His conclusions were as 

 follows : 



(1) "The putrid poison contained in the decomposed 

 flesh of the dog, and which is obtained by extraction with 

 distilled water and repeated filtration, is not volatile, but 

 fixed. It does not pass over on distillation, but remains in 

 the retort. 



(2) " The putrid poison is not destroyed by boiling, nor 

 by evaporation. It preserves its poisonous properties even 

 after the boiling has been continued for eleven hours, and 

 after the evaporation has been carried to complete desicca- 

 tion at 100. 



(3) "The putrid poison is insoluble in absolute alcohol, 

 but is soluble in water, and is contained in the aqueous ex- 

 tract which is formed by treating with distilled water the 

 putrid material which has previously been dried by heat 

 and washed with alcohol. 



(4) " The albuminoid substances which frequently are 

 found in putrid fluids are not in themselves poisonous only 

 so far as they contain the putrid poison fixed and condensed 

 upon their surfaces, from which it can be removed by 

 repeated and careful washing. 



(5) "The intensity of the putrid poison is comparable 

 to that of the venom of serpents, of curare, and of certain 

 vegetable alkaloids, inasmuch as 0.012 of a gramme of the 

 poison, obtained by extracting with distilled water putrid 

 material which had been previously boiled for a long time, 

 dried at 100, and submitted to the action of absolute 

 alcohol, was sufficient almost to kill a small dog." 



PANUM made intravenous injections with this poison, and 

 with ammonium carbonate, ammonium butyrate, ammo- 

 nium valerianate, tyrosine, and leucine, and found that the 

 symptoms induced by the putrid poison differed from those 



