CHEMISTRY OF THE PTOMAINES. 237 



The movements of the heart and of respiration are at first 

 (juickened and strengthened, but before long the paralytic 

 effects produce a constant slowing and weakening, till 

 finally complete cessation of both movements results. The 

 decided dyspnoea observed gradually alters its character, 

 and just before death the respiration is irregular and super- 

 ficial. The heart, as in frogs, continues to beat after the 

 respiratory movements have ceased, until finally it stops in 

 diastole. Direct application of concentrated solutions of 

 the poison to the eyes produces almost always a contraction 

 of the pupil, while a similar but less constaut contraction 

 is seen when it is injected. The peristaltic action of the 

 intestines is heightened to such an extent that continual 

 evacuation takes place. Just before death, violent clonic 

 convulsions occur. Atropine possesses a strong antagonistic 

 action toward neurine, and the injection of even a small 

 quantity is sufficient to dispel the symptoms just de- 

 scribed. 



Cholikb, C5H15NO, ^ C,H,OH.N(CH3)3.0H. — This 

 base is identical with the sinkaline of VON Babo, the bili- 

 neurine of Liebkeici-t, and the neurine of Baeyee, 

 Marino-Zuco, and others. According to Schmiedeberc; 

 and Harnack, it is identical with Leteluer's amanitine 

 (agaricine), to which they assign, however, the formula 

 (CH3)3N.(CHOH.CH3)OH. Choline was first prepared, 

 and so named, by Strecker, in 1862, by treating hog-bile 

 with hydrochloric acid. It was prepared synthetically l)y 

 WuitTZ (1868) by direct union of ethylene chlorhydrine 

 and trimcthylamine. The reaction tliat takes place can be 

 represented by the equation : 



CH, •) 9M'^ 



C,H,{^I + CH:[n=. gH3 Uci 



c,h,.ohJ 



CH, 



Baeyer (1866) obtained it by boiling an alcoholic extract 

 of the bra'n with baryta water; and LlEBREK'ii, in 1869, 

 showed that if the alcoholic extract, from which all the 



11* 



