CHEMISTRY 01 TIIK I'TOMAINKS. L'7 1 



containing four or five earlxMi atoms, and hence is nearly 

 related to some of the diamines already descnlx-d. 



Tin- 1'i.A'i INOCIII.IMMDK, on analysis, gave: Pt = 38.74 

 C = 10.83, II = 3.23. It crystallizes in small needles, and 

 i- extremely soluble in water. 



The HTDBOCHLORIDE crystallixes with extreme dif- 

 ficulty, even nn standing fin- some time in a desiccator. On 

 exposure to the air it rapidly deliquesces. 



riiifxiofo</i<-<tf Action. Mydaleine has an entirely specific 

 action. Small (juantities injected into guinea-pigs or 

 rabbits produce, after a short time, a moistening of the 

 under lip, and an abundant flow of secretion from the nose 

 and eyes. The pupils dilate gradually to maximum, and 

 become react ion less ; the ear vessels become strongly in- 

 jected, and the body temperature rises 1 to 2. The hairs 

 bristle, and the animal occasionally shudders. Gradually 

 the salivation ceases, the respiration and heart-action, which 

 were at first hastened, now decrease, the temperature falls, 

 the ears become pale, and the animal finally recovers. 

 During the action of the poison the animal shows a ten- 

 dency to sleep, and the peristaltic action of the intestines is 

 heightened. Larger doses (0.050 gramme) induce an ex- 

 ceedingly violent action, which invariably results in the 

 death of the animal. On post-mortem, the heart is found 

 to be stopped in diastole, and the intestines and bladder 

 contracted ; otherwise nothing abnormal is observed. 



A Toxic BASK. From human livers and spleens which 

 were decomposing for two weeks in thorough contact with 

 air there was isolated, besides cadaverine and putrescine, a 

 small quantity of a poisonous base (]I:IK<;KI!, II., 251, IS). 

 The mercuric chloride precipitate was decomposed, and the 

 hydroclilorides were precipitated by gold chloride (to re- 

 move cadaverine, which is soluble), and the aurochloride 

 was then changed into the platinum salt, whereby the ill- 

 soluble putrescine platinochloride was removed. In the 

 mother-li(|uors from the putrescine salt an easily soluble 

 platinum compound was separated, and found to contain 

 41.30 per cent. Pt. It crystallized in fine needles. The 



