46 BACTERIAL POISONS. 



of the mucous membrane of the pharynx, larynx, and 

 bronchial tubes, dark redness of the fundus of the stom- 

 ach, and circumscribed, gray, red, and black spots on the 

 mucous membrane of the intestine. The liver was brittle 

 and the spleen enlarged. 



Many theories concerning the nature of the active prin- 

 ciple of poisonous sausage have been advanced. It was 

 once believed to consist of pyroligneous acid, which was 

 supposed to be absorbed by the meat from the smoke used 

 in curing it; but it was soon found that unsmoked sausage 

 might be poisonous also. EMMEBT believed that the active 

 agent was hydrocyanic acid, and JAGER'S theory supposed 

 the presence of picric acid. But these acids are not found 

 in poisonous sausage, and, moreover, their toxicological 

 effects are wholly unlike those observed in sausage poison- 

 ing. As we have elsewhere seen, KERNER believed that 

 he had found the poisonous principle in a fatty acid. This 

 theory was supported by DANN, BUCHNER, and SCHU- 

 MANN. KERNER believed the poison to consist of either 

 caseic or sebacic acid, or both, while BUOHNER named it 

 acidum botuliuicum ; but the acids of the former proved 

 to be inert, and that of the latter to have no existence. 

 SCHLOSSBERGER first suggested that the poisonous sub- 

 stance is most probably basic in character, and he found 

 an odoriferous, ammoniacal base which could not be found 

 in good sausage, and which did not correspond to any 

 known amides, imides, or nitril bases. However, this 

 substance has not been obtained by anyone else, nor has 

 it been demonstrated to be poisonous. 



LIEBIG, DUFLAS, HiRSCH, and SIMON believed in the 

 presence of a poisonous ferment. VAN DEN CORPUT de- 

 scribed sarcina botulina, which was believed to constitute 

 the active agent. MULLER, HOPPE-SEYLER, and others 

 have found various microorganisms, and VIRCHOW, EICH- 

 ENBERG, and others have examined microscopically the 

 blood of persons poisoned with sausage. Recently, EHR- 

 ENBERG has attempted to isolate the poisonous substance 

 by employing BRIEGER'S method, but he obtained only 

 inert substances. 



