258 B.^CTEllIAL POISONS. 



poisoning, and it is, therefore, a strong paralysis-producing 

 poison, and resembles curara in its action. This action is 

 explainable now that Gladse and Luchsingee have 

 shown that all trimethyl-ammonium bases have a musca- 

 rine-like action. For the symptoms induced by poisonous 

 mussel see page 38. 



Gadinine, CyHj^NOj, was found in haddock (1885) 

 which was allowed to decompose in open iron vessels for 

 five days during summer. Brieger has also obtained it 

 from cultures of the bacteria of human feces on gelatin. 

 The decomposing mass was thoroughly stirred every day 

 in order to bring it into contact with atmospheric oxygen 

 (Brieger, I., 49). It was then treated with water, and 

 hydrochloric acid was added to acid reaction, and after being 

 warmed the mixture was filtered and the filtrate concen- 

 trated on the wa'ter-bath to a syrupy consistency. This 

 syrupy residue was extracted with water, and the aqueous 

 solution was precipitated with a solution of mercuric chlo- 

 ride. The mercuric chloride precipitate contained a base, 

 the quantity of which, however, was insufficient for a com- 

 plete analysis (see page 272). The mercuric chloride filtrate, 

 after the removal of the mercury by hydrogen sulphide, 

 was evaporated to a syrup, and this was then repeatedly 

 extracted with alcohol. The alcoholic solution thus ob- 

 tained contained neuridine, a base of the same composition 

 as ethylenediamine, muscarine, gadinine, and triethylamiue. 

 These bases were separated in the following manner : The 

 alcoholic solution gave with platinum chloride a precipitate 

 of neuridine. The filtrate from this platinum precipitate 

 was heated on the water-bath to expel the alcohol, and then 

 the platinum was removed by hydrogen sulphide. The 

 aqueous filtrate was concentrated to a small volume M'hich, 

 on addition of platinum chloride, gave a precipitate of the 

 isomer of ethylenediamine. The mother-liquor from this 

 precipitate was concentrated on a water-bath, and on cool- 

 ing the platinochloride of muscarine crystallized out. From 

 the mother-liquor of this precipitate on standing in a des- 

 iccator, the gadinine double salt crystallized. The mother- 



