222 BAOTEEIAL POISOjSTS. 



platinochloride, which crystallizes in rhombs, and is diffi- 

 cultly soluble in water. 



Physiologically, it is indifferent. 



A Base, C7Hj|,]Sr2. — Until very recently the nature of the 

 basic substances which are formed as products of the alco- 

 holic fermentation of sugar or molasses has been but little 

 understood. Kramer and Pinner, in 1869, found in crude 

 fusel oil a small quantity, of a volatile base which they 

 apparently identified with a collidine. This observation was 

 confirmed by Okdonneau and others ; and still more re- 

 cently (January, 1888) Moein has contributed an elaborate 

 paper upon the bases formed during alcoholic fermentation. 

 The portion of crude fusel oil which boils above 130.5° 

 was extracted with slightly acidulated water, the acid 

 aqueous solution thus obtained was made alkaline, and the 

 oily bases which were thus set free were then distilled with 

 vapor of water. The free bases were dried over potassium 

 hydrate -and then subjected to fractional distillation. Three 

 fractions were thus obtained, boiling respectively at 155°- 

 160°, 171°-172°, and 185°-190°. Only the second frac- 

 tion, which boils at 171°-172°, was studied, and was found 

 to possess the formula C^Hj^Nj. Heated with concentrated 

 hydrochloric acid, it is decomposed in part with the forma- 

 tion of ammonia. It combines with ethyl iodide to form a 

 yellow crystalline compound, which is soluble in water 

 and alcohol, insoluble in ether. The hydrochloride crys- 

 tallizes in fine white needles, soluble in water and alcohol, 

 and but very slightly soluble in absolute ether. The free 

 base, as stated above, boils at 171°-172°, is very soluble in 

 water, alcohol, ether, etc. When pure it forms a colorless, 

 strongly refracting, very mobile oil, which possesses a char- 

 acteristic nauseating odor, but slightly resembling that of 

 the pyridine bases. Its density at 12° is 0.9826 ; toward 

 litmus paper the base shows no decided reaction. The 

 platinochloride is crystalline and is very soluble in water 

 and alcohol, slightly soluble in ether. Potassio-mercuric 

 iodide does not precipitate the aqueous solution of the free 

 base, but in solutions of the hydrochloride it gives a yellow 



