THE RELATION OF PTOMAINES TO SUPPURATION. 89 



rate, of a chemical substance which prevents coagulation of the 

 exuded fluid. He describes a minute abscess as containing a colony 

 of microbes which, when fixed in the tissues, cause a limited coagu- 

 lation-necrosis of the tissues in immediate contact with the microbes 

 by the action of the ptomaines ; a few hours later a zone of leuco- 

 cytes aggregate around the dead tissues. The products of inflam- 

 mation also remain fluid, probably also from the peptonizing effect 

 of the microbes, and thus an abscess is formed. 



The above observations are conclusive in showing that pus- 

 microbes can be cultivated from the pus of every acute abscess, and 

 that, in man and animals, the injection of a sufficient quantity of a 

 pure culture into the tissues is followed by suppuration ; and thus 

 far, positive proof has been furnished of the direct etiological rela- 

 tionship which exists between pus-microbes and suppuration. 

 Quite recently a number of pathologists have gone one step further, 

 and claimed that pus-microbes are not the direct cause of suppura- 

 tion, but that their presence is essential for the production of pto- 

 maines, to which they attribute pyogenic properties. We will, 

 therefore, consider 



The Relation of Ptomaines to Suppuration. 



Grawitz and de Bary (" Ueber die Ursachen der subcutanen 

 Entziindung und Eiterung," Virchow's Archiv, B. cviii. S. 68), 

 after detailing the results of their experiments with injections of 

 chemical irritants during their studies on pus-production, give an 

 account of their experiments with the ptomaines, of pus-microbes. 

 They claim that these ptomaines, like chemical irritants, prepare 

 the soil in the tissues for the growth and reproduction of pus- 

 microbes The action of these substances becomes apparent by 

 injection of sterilized cultures where the only active agents could be 

 the preformed poisons. They injected 4 c.c. of a sterilized culture 

 of the staphylococcus pyogeues aureus under the skin of a dog, and 

 produced suppuration. The contents of the abscess were examined 

 for microbes, but none were found. They claim that the presence of 

 oxygen is of the greatest importance in the production of pto- 

 maines. 



Grawitz (" Ueber die Bedeutung des Cadaverins f. das Entste- 

 hen von Eiterung," Virchow's Archiv, B. ex. Heft 1) experi- 

 mented with a pure preparation of cadaveriu, prepared by Brieger 

 from bacteria. This belongs to the class of non-toxic cadaver 

 alkaloids, and is a colorless fluid, the chemical formula of which is 

 identical with pentamethylendiomin ; a 2J per cent, solution of 

 this substance destroyed the staphylococcus pyogenes aureus in an 

 hour, and a small quantity added to a culture of pus-microbes 



