June 21, 1889.] 



SCIENCE. 



485 



some thirty pupils, who are being taught to readily understand 

 every thing said to them by watching the movements of the speaker's 

 lips, and are themselves in turn taught to speak and read aloud 

 through the oral method. This class of scholars was organized 

 some three years ago, and resulted in the formation of a society for 

 the improved instruction of deaf-mutes. About one year ago the 

 society succeeded in having provision made whereby the classes 

 should form part of the public-school system. There should be 

 better provision made, however, for the development of this branch 

 of the public-school system. More room is needed for the pupils I 

 additional instructors are required ; and, beyond any question of 

 dispute, this work, so well begun by private subscription, should 

 be fostered and cared for out of the school fund. There are now 

 being made efforts to have schools located in different parts of the 

 State, and at the next session of the Legislature there will be pre- 

 sented a bill in which the State will be expected to pay for the edu- 

 cation of all deaf-mute citizens of the State by this oral method. 



DANGER LURKING IN DECOMPOSING ANIMAL OR 

 VEGETABLE FOOD.' 



Muscarine as a product of putrefaction has already been 

 alluded to by me in my last report for the chemical department of 

 the Agricultural College, and in foreign scientific journals, where 

 the case has attracted some attention as furnishing facts previously 

 unknown. My connection with the occurrences reported originated 

 through the deatti of four persons from the consuming of fish-con- 

 taining-food in a slightly putrid condition ; and my analysis of the 

 food was undertaken at the solicitation of the police department of 

 the Hokkaido Cho. 



Two adults and two children living in Chitose died suddenly 

 with symptoms of narcotic poisoning. Post-mortem examination, 

 however, failed to satisfactorily account for death ; but the appear- 

 ance of the organs, together with the ante-mortem symptoms, were 

 considered by the officiating physicians to resemble poisoning from 

 the poisonous mushroom (Agaricus muscarine). 



Specimens of the food eaten by the deceased were therefore sent 

 me for chemical examination. The articles received were two ; 

 namely, a variety of edible mushroom, and a native food called 

 " sushi," consisting of a mixture of fish and rice with a little sake, 

 which is allowed to ferment and become vinegar before the mixture 

 is eaten. The fish w9isg/zoi, one of the most common and whole- 

 some of Japanese river-fish. In the former of the two substances 

 subjected to examination, no trace of alkaloid or other injurious 

 substance could be detected. The "jzc.?///','' however, reached me 

 in an advance stage of putrefaction. (This food is usually eaten in 

 a condition decidedly " strong.") I was therefore compelled to 

 recognize the uselessness of attempting the elimination or recogni- 

 tion of alkaloids by the usual methods of procedure, and to admit 

 the extreme probability of the presence of some ptomaine as a prod- 

 uct of decomposition. The methods pursued and the results ob- 

 tained may possibly require a brief introduction, that the facts in- 

 volved may be the better recognized. Only the briefest possible 

 r^sum^oi the facts necessary for a better consideration of the ques- 

 tions involved is here admissible. The relations between alkaloids 

 and albuminoids are known to be most intimate. The latter, acted 

 on by certain micro-organisms, undergo a decomposition known as 

 putrefaction, and the life-function of certain of these organisms re- 

 sults in the conversion of albuminoids into alkaloids ; this latter 

 group of compounds consisting chiefly of poisonous substances, 

 until recently supposed to be exclusively of vegetable origin. 

 Though numerous instances of poisoning through the consump- 

 tion of food undergoing the process of putrefaction are recorded, 

 and as long ago as 1823 Garpart and Stick made known the ex- 

 istence of a specific poison in decomposed animal matter, it was 

 not till 1877 that really definite knowledge was evolved from the 

 facts accumulated. The Italian chemist Selmi then first isolated a 

 basic compound, of alkaloid character and toxic properties, of un ■ 

 mistakable putrefactive origin, and named by the discoverer " ca- 

 daves alkaloid," or " ptomaine." 



> Report by H. E. Stockbridge, Ph.D., of the Government Agricultural College, 

 Sapporo, Japan. 



In 1880 the Italian minister of justice appointed a commission of 

 chemists and pharmacists to investigate the entire field thus 

 opened, and formulate the facts gathered. The work thus begun 

 has been continued by the investigators of different countries, until 

 there are now known and isolated not less than twelve of these 

 alkaloids of putrefaction, seven of which have been made known 

 through the labors of Dr. Brieger of Berlin since 1883. It is chiefly 

 to this investigator that we are indebted for the enunciation of re- 

 liable methods of elimination and recognition. 



The method adopted by me in the investigation undertaken was 

 in most respects identical with that recommended by Brieger, the 

 modifications being only such as were suggested by the somewhat 

 peculiar nature of the substance and the circumstances demanding 

 the examination ; the ptomaines thus far eliminated being for the 

 most part insoluble in ether, while the latter removes large quanti- 

 ties of organic matter, the presence of which renders subsequent 

 purification more difficult. I first subjected the mass to one hour's 

 extraction with warm ether in an automatic extraction apparatus 

 of my own device. The extract thus obtained was set aside for 

 future examination ; and the residue, slightly dried, and free from 

 fats and other ether-extracted matter, was heated with water acidu- 

 lated with hydrochloric acid for two hours, the temperature being 

 kept below 100° C. The solution thus obtained was evaporated to- 

 a thick sirup over the water-bath, an acid re-action being carefully 

 maintained, and the residue extracted several times with absolute 

 alcohol, until the addition of alcohol failed to precipitate more ni- 

 trogenous matter. The fluid solution was then evaporated to dry- 

 ness, the residue taken up in 90 per cent alcohol filtered and pre- 

 cipitated with platinic chloride. The precipitate thus formed was 

 then treated with an excess of water ; the alkaloid-platinum double 

 salt, if present, going into solution, from which the insoluble plati- 

 num compound was separated by filtration. The solution was 

 next subjected to a stream of hydrogen sulphide till all platinum 

 was precipitated, the solution being then neutralized by sodium 

 carbonate, and evaporated to dryness. This residue was repeat- 

 edly washed with absolute alcohol, and the solution obtained 

 evaporated to dryness over the water-bath and then taken up in 

 water. This solution should now contain the pure hydrochloride 

 salt of any alkaloid extracted from the original substance by the 

 acidulated water. 



Allowed to slowly evaporate over sulphuric acid, fine laminar 

 opaque crystals were formed, which were found to be soluble in 

 alcohol and in water, but insoluble in ether. The aqueous solution 

 gave with phospho-molybdic acid and with mercuric-potassium 

 iodide amorphous precipitates. Mercuric chloride produced a 

 white amorphous precipitate, crystallizing after some time. With 

 gold chloride, a bronze-colored non-crystalline precipitate was ob- 

 tained. 



Platinum bichloride yielded a fine slightly crystalline precipitate 

 of great insolubility. Excess of bromine- water produced a reddish- 

 brown precipitate, soon disappearing. 



The identity of the compound with muscarine, the poisonous 

 constituent of the " toadstool," seems to be thus established, and 

 is further confirmed by the evidence of the post-mortem on the 

 victims of the consumption of the food from which the alkaloid 

 was isolated. The official report of the examining physicians 

 mentioned muscarine symptoms. No mushrooms were, however,, 

 found in the stomachs, though, because of the symptoms, some 

 were furnished me for analysis. The further confirmation of ele- 

 mental analysis has not yet been possible, since the total amount 

 recovered was not more than sufficient for analysis : it was there- 

 fore deemed inexpedient to resort to the destruction of what might, 

 under the circumstances, be required as evidence. A combustion 

 analysis will, however, ultimately be made, and the results recorded. 

 The ether extract made before the treatment with acidulated water, 

 was subsequently found to contain an alkaloid yielding white 

 crystals over sulphuric acid, and a crystalline precipitate with gold 

 chloride. I have as yet, however, been unable to establish the 

 identity of this compound, and therefore reserve further details, to- 

 gether with results of efforts to " cultivate " these products of de- 

 composition at will, for some subsequent report. 



Muscarine, so far as I am able to ascertain, has not heretofore 

 been recorded among the ptomaines isolated and named, although 



