570 



VITAL ACTIONS OF THE LOWER FUNGI. 



Poisonous 

 Peptotoxine. 



Neurin. 



disappearance of the cholin, trimethylamine, also di- 

 methylamine and triaethylamine. 



The formula of cholin is, C 5 H 15 N0 2 , and it must be 

 looked on as trimethyloxaethylammonium oxyhydrate 

 (CH 3 ) 3 , N, OH, C 2 H 4 , PH. It occurs very widely 

 distributed in the body, united in lecithin with di- 

 stearylglycerinephosphoric acid, and appears at the com- 

 mencement of the putrefaction of dead bodies, probably 

 by the splitting up of lecithine. Cholin only acts in a 

 poisonous manner in very large doses. 



To the poisonous bases belong : 



1. Peptotoxine, the poisonous constituent of many 

 peptones ; it is formed, for example, in the digestion of 

 fibrine by artificial gastric juice. It can be in part ex- 

 tracted from peptone by sethyl- and amyl-alcohol ; com- 

 position as yet unknown. Frogs and rabbits are killed 

 with symptoms of paralysis and insensibility. This 

 first poisonous product of the splitting up of albu- 

 minous bodies can probably be also obtained as the 

 result of the peptonising action of bacteria, although 

 this has not yet been directly proved. 



2. Neurin, obtained from flesh which had putrefied 

 for five or six days, was formerly frequently confused 

 with cholin, but is distinguished from it by the absence 

 of one molecule of water. It has the composition 

 C 5 H 13 NO, and must be looked upon as the oxihydrate 

 of trimethylvinylammonium (CH 3 ) 3 , CoH 3 , N, OH (the 



CH 2 A 

 vinyl group = || - Neurin is poisonous in small 



CE-/ 



doses to frogs and mammals ; for cats five milligrams 

 per kilo-weight is the poisonous dose. The symptoms 

 observed are, salivation, dyspnoea, in the first place 

 quickening, then lowering, of the heart's action ; also 

 violent peristalsis of the intestine, with diarrhoea ; finally, 

 convulsions and collapse. The group of symptoms 

 most resembles those produced by muscarine; atropine 

 appears to be the most active antidote. 



Neurin is probably formed from the cholin of the 

 lecithin by the withdrawal of water, and this separation 



