HISTORICAL SKETCH. 27 



following the s;mn' method which he had used in extracting 

 tin's j)ois()ii from yeast, lias been unable to obtain it from 

 other putrid material. Moreover, he was not always SIH-- 

 - I'M I in obtaining the poison from veast. Sepsine was 

 not obtained in quantity sufficient to serve for an ultimate 

 analysis, In nee, its composition remains unknown. 



In ]s<;) /I'LXKR and SONXKNSCHKIX prepared from 

 decomposed meat extracts a nitrogenous base, which in its 

 chemical reactions and physiological ('flirts resembled a tro- 

 phic and hyoseyamine. When injected under the skin of 

 animals it produced dilatation of the pupils, paralysis of 

 the muscles of the intestines, and acceleration of the heart- 

 beat ; but it is uncertain and inconstant in its action. This 

 probably results from rapid decomposition taking place in 

 it, or to variations in its composition at different stages of 

 putrefaction. This suhstamr lias also been obtained from 

 the bodies of those who have died from typhoid fever, and 

 it may be possible that the lx>lladonna-like delirium which 

 frequently characteri/es the later stages of this disease is 

 due to the ante-mortem generation of this poison within 

 the Uxly. 



Since 1X70 many chemists have Urn en<rared in making 

 investigations on the products of putrefaction. We can 

 only mention a few names at present, while others will IK- 

 referred to subsequently in di<cussinr the individual pto- 

 ma'iiic-. 



First of all stands the Italian SELMI, who su<r*;csted the 

 name ptomaine, and whose researches furnished us with 

 much information of' value, and, what is probably of more 

 importance, <rave an impetus to the study of the chemistry 

 of putrefaction, which has already Urn productive of much 

 jrood and rives promise of much more in the future. SKI. MI 

 showed that ptomaines could l>e obtained (1) by extracting 

 acidified solutions of putrid material with ether; (2) by 

 extract in::- alkaline solutions with ether ; (.'?) by extracting 

 alkaline solution- \\ith chloroform ; (4) by extracting with 

 amylic alcohol ; and(">) that there yet remained in the solu- 

 tions of putrid matter ptomaines which were not extracted 

 by anv of the above-mentioned reagents. In this way he 



