214 BACTERIAL POISONS. 



prepared this salt by mixing the aqueous solutions of the 

 hydrochloride of the base and of the mercuric chloride in 

 the molecular ratio of 1 to 4, and on using a larger excess 

 of mercuric cliloride he obtained a salt containing four 

 molecules of mercuric chloride {Ber. 20, 2216). The com- 

 plete identity of these two bases has, therefore, been estab- 

 lished. The constitutional formula of cadaverine is, there- 

 fore : 



NH,— CH,— CH,-CH,— CH,— CH,— NH,. 



Cadaverine can be prepared synthetically according to 

 Ladenbuhg's method. For this purpose trimethylene 

 bromide is converted into the cyanide, and this is then 

 reduced by sodium in absolute alcohol. 



Cadaverine forms a somewhat thick, water-clear, syrupy 

 liquid, which possesses an exceedingly unpleasant odor, 

 resembling somewhat that of coniine (piperidine) and of 

 semen. When dehydrated with potassium hydrate it boils 

 at 115°-120° (Brieger). It boils at 175° (Brieger, III., 

 98), and fumes in the air. The base eagerly absorbs car- 

 bonic acid from the air, and solidifies into a crystalline 

 mass, the carbonate. It is volatile with steam, and can be 

 distilled, without decomposition, even in presence of sodium 

 or barium hydrate, or soda lime. Neuridine, its isomer, 

 decomposes under these circumstances. When heated with 

 alcoholic potash and chloroform it does not give the iso- 

 nitril reaction, nor does it give the characteristic odor of oil 

 of mustard on treatment with carbon disulphide and mer- 

 curic chloride. The absence of these reactions at first 

 induced Brieger to conclude that cadaverine and putres- 

 cine. were not primary amines, but Ladenburg (1885) 

 showed that this conclusion was not justifiable. These two 

 reactions are given by primary monamines, but in this case 

 they are not given by cadaverine, a primary diamine. It 

 is probable that this behavior holds true for all diamines. 



Cadaverine is, undoubtedly, identical with the so-called 

 "animal coniine," which has been isolated at various times 

 from cadavers. 



Cadaverine and putrescine were at first regarded as 



