338 BACTERIAL POISONS. 



which can be recry stall ized from boiling 93 per cent, 

 alcohol in needles which possess a slight alkaline reaction, 

 and forms a slightly soluble, crystalline platinochloride. 

 This new substance is precipitated from alcoholic solution 

 by the addition of ether, as a mass of beautiful, white, silky 

 needles resembling caffeine. These crystals melt at 174 ; 

 cafVeine melts at 178. 



Xantho-creatine, given in fairly large doses, is poison- 

 ous, producing in animals depression, somnolence, and 

 extreme fatigue, accompanied by frequent defecation and 

 vomiting. In its general properties this base resembles 

 creatinine very much, and it was on account of this resem- 

 blance and its yellow color that it was named xantho-crea- 

 tinine. This relation becomes especially evident since this 

 base appears in the physiologically active muscle at the 

 same time with creatinine, constituting sometimes one-tenth 

 of the creatinine present. MONARI has found this base in 

 the aqueous extract of the muscles of an exhausted <!<>;r, 

 and also in the urine of soldiers tired by several hours' 

 march. He also demonstrated its presence in the urine of a 

 dog after previous injection of creatinine. 



AMPHI-CREATINE, C 9 H, 9 N 7 O 4 , is slightly soluble and 

 crystallizes from boiling water in yellowish-white oblique 

 prisms, which possess, if any, a slightly bitter taste. 

 When heated to 100 it decrepitates somewhat, and at 

 110 it becomes opaque white. Potassium hydrate does 

 not decompose it in the cold. Although a weak base, it 

 combines to form salts just as the preceding members of 

 this group. The hydrochloride is crystalline, and is not 

 deliquescent; the platinochloride forms rhombic plates, 

 which are soluble in water, but are insoluble in absolute 

 alcohol ; the aurochloride crystallizes in easily soluble, very 

 small, microscopic crystals, which are tetrahedral to hexa- 

 hedral in their habit. It is not precipitated by copper 

 acetate or by mercuric chloride ; nor does it give the 

 murexidc test, or the xanthine reaction. Sodium phospho- 

 molybdate produces a yellow, pulverulent precipitate. In 

 its properties it resembles creatine, and indeed GAUTIER 



