THE PTOMAINES. 569 



and Mosso obtained, from putrefying fibrine, an oil of 

 the composition C 10 H L ,N, which has a similar action to 

 curare ; and E. and H. Salkowski obtained by the 

 putrefaction of flesh and fibrine a cry stall i sable base, 

 which on analysis seemed to differ a little in its compo- 

 sition, C 5 H U N0 2 or C 7 H 15 N0 2 , and hence probably was 

 not quite pure. 



Brieger has, during the last few years, taken up the Brioger's 

 study of the ptomaines with great success ; to his in- 

 vestigations we already owe a number of very important 

 results. 



Brieger isolated numerous nitrogenous bases, partly 1. Putrefac- 

 from putrefying fibrine, meat, fish, cheese, gelatine, and ptomaines. 

 yeast ; partly from putrefying human bodies ; and partly 

 from pure cultivations of pathogenic fungi ; some of 

 these proved to be non-poisonous, others were distinctly 

 poisonous. 



To the non-poisonous, or, at any rate, to bases which 

 only act in a poisonous manner in large doses, belong : 



1. Neuridine, very widely distributed ; obtained from Non-poison- 

 the putrefaction of meat, cheese, gelatine (in very large l 

 quantities), and from decomposing human organs from 



the third day onwards. Composition, C 5 H 14 N 2 , a 

 diamine which breaks up into dimethylamine and 

 tri-methylamine. Characterised by the formation of 

 a compound with picric acid, which is not readily 

 soluble. 



2. Gadinine, obtained from putrefying torsk, has the 

 formula C 7 H 17 N0 2 ; constitution still unknown. 



3. Cadaverine, from decomposing bodies, found in 

 traces from the fourth day upwards, plentifully from 

 the tenth to the twelfth days. C 5 H 16 N 2 ; has a disagree- 

 able odour, recalling that of conium. 



4. Putrescine occurs along with the former, C 4 H ]2 N 2 . 



5. Saprine, likewise a cadaveric alkaloid ; it has the 

 same percentage composition as cadaverine, but it is 

 distinguished from it by the characters of its compound 

 with hydrochloric acid, and of its gold salt. 



6. Brieger also found cholin during the first few 

 days of the putrefaction of dead bodies, and after the 



