1& PTOMAINES. 



substance depends upon the conditions under which, and 

 the time during which, it is administered. Thirty grains 

 of quinine may be taken by a healthy man during twenty- 

 four hours without any appreciably ill effect, yet few of us 

 would be willing to admit that the administration of this 

 amount daily for three months would be wise or altogether 

 free from injury. In the same manner the administration 

 of a given quantity of a putrefactive alkaloid to a dog or 

 guinea-pig in a single dose may do no harm, while the 

 daily production of the same substance in the intestine of 

 a man and its absorption continued through weeks and pos- 

 sibly months may be of marked detriment to the health. 

 We do not as yet know enough about the physiological or 

 toxicological action of the putrefactive alkaloids to render 

 the classification proposed by Bkieger worthy of general 

 adoption. 



All ptomaines contain nitrogen as an essential part of 

 their basic character. In this they resemble the vegetable 

 alkaloids. Some of them contain oxygen, while others do 

 not. The latter correspond to the volatile vegetable alka- 

 loids, nicotine and coniine, and the former correspond to 

 the fixed alkaloids. 



Since all putrefaction is due to the action of bacteria, it 

 follows that all ptomaines result from the growth of these 

 microorganisms. The kind of ptomaine foi'med will de- 

 pend upon the individual bacterium engaged in its produc- 

 tion, the nature of the material being acted upon, and the 

 conditions under which the putrefaction goes on, such as the 

 temperature, amount of oxygen present, and the duration 

 of the process. 



Beiegee found that, although the Eberth bacillus grew 

 well in solutions of peptone, it did not produce any pto- 

 maine ; while from cultures of the same bacillus in beef-tea 

 he obtained a poisonous alkaloid. Fitz found that whilst 

 the bacillus butyricus produces by its action on carbohy- 

 drates butyric acid, in glycerin it produces propylic alcohol 

 and MoBlN has found amyl alcohol among the products of 

 this germ. Beowjst has shown that while tlie mycoderma 

 aceti converts ethylic alcohol into acetic acid, it converts 



