CHEMISTRY OF THE PTOMAINES. 223 



flocculent precipitate, which soon crystallizes in long bril- 

 liant yellow needles. This reaction takes place readily in 

 solutions of 1 to 1000, and only after some hours in solu- 

 tions of 1 to 10,000 ; and is not given by the bases of the 

 pyridic and quinolinic series. Mercuric chloride produces 

 an immediate flocculent precipitate in solutions of the base 

 having a concentration of 1 to 1000, but requires some 

 time to appear in 1 to 10,000. Phosphotungstic acid gives 

 an immediate white precipitate even in a dilution of 1 to 

 10,000. Phosphomolybdic acid in solutions of the same 

 strength yields a yellow precipitate. 



The physiological action of this base has been examined 

 by R. WuRTZ, who found the lethal dose for rabbits, etc., 

 to be about one gramme per kilogramme of body weight. 

 It produces stupor, paralysis, which at first appears in the 

 rear extremities ; the sensibility becomes diminished and 

 the pupils are dilated and unresponsive to light ; the rate 

 of heart-beat is lowered, and the rectal temperature falls as 

 low as 35° ; death follows a more or less prolonged coma. 



Tanret obtained by the action of ammonia on glucose 

 a number of bases, to which he applied the generic name 

 of glucosines. One of these, having the formula Cj^Hj^Nj 

 (C = 6), corresponds in its formula and its general proper- 

 ties to Morin's base C^Hidl^j (C = 12), and, in fact, the 

 two bases are considered by Tanret to be identical. 



It is interesting to note in this connection that alkaloidal 

 bases have been found in petroleum by Bandrowski, and 

 that similar basic substances have been detected by Weller 

 in paraflin oil. 



Most of the solvents in common use, such as alcohol, 

 ether, chloroform, benzole, petroleum ether, amyl alcohol, 

 etc., have been shown at different times to contain basic 

 pyridine compounds, though ordinarily in very minute 

 quantity. On the other hand, Haitinger has found in 

 some specimens of amyl alcohol as much as 0.5 per cent, 

 of pyridine. 



SusoTOXiNE, C,oH25]Sr2(?), is abase isolated by Now in 

 1890 from cultures of the hog-cholera bacillus of Salmon 



