178 BACTERIAL POISONS. 



Strychnine-like Substances. — In a criminal prose- 

 cution at Verona, Ciotta obtained from the exhumed, but 

 only slightly decomposed body, an alkaloid which gave a 

 crystalline precipitate with iodine in hydriodic acid, a red 

 coloration with hydriodic acid, and a color test similar to 

 that of strychnine with sulphuric acid and potassium 

 bichromate, and with other oxidizing agents. This sub- 

 stance was strongly poisonous, but did not produce the 

 tetanic convulsions which are characteristic of strychnine. 

 Ciotta pronounced this substance as probably identical 

 with strychnine. Portions of the body were subsequently 

 submitted to Selmi for his opinion. Selmi found that 

 the substance which gave the color-reaction was not crys- 

 talline, and that there was only "the presumption of a 

 bitter taste to it," while one part of strychnine in 40,000 

 parts of water is intensely bitter. Selmi also held that 

 many ptomaines give reactions similar to strychnine with 

 iodine in hydriodic acid and with hydriodic acid. He 

 also held that its physiological properties were such that it 

 could not be strychnine. This substance could hardly 

 have been aspidospermine, which reacts with sulphuric 

 acid and potassium bichromate similarly to strychnine, be- 

 cause quebracho bark, in which this alkaloid is found, was 

 not at that time used as a medicine or known in Italy. 



Ptomaines giving reactions similar to those of strych- 

 nine, and also causing tetanic spasms, have been found in 

 Italy in decomposed corn-nieal. Selmi obtained one of 

 these substances, but found that it differed from strychnine 

 inasmuch as it could not be extracted with ether. 



LoMBROSO has named the poisonous substance found in 

 decomposed corn-meal pellagroceine, but this is really a 

 mixture of ptomaines, some of which produce narcosis and 

 paralysis, and others produce the symptoms of nicotine 

 poisoning instead of the spasms caused by strychnine. 



A Morphine-like Substance. — In the Sonzogna 

 trial, at Cremona, Italy, the experts seem to have con- 

 founded a ptomaine with morphine. This substance was 

 not removed from either alkaline or acid solutions with 



