CIIEMISTKY OF THE PTOMAINES. 259 



liquor from the gadinine platiuoclilorkle was treated witli 

 hydrogen sulphide to remove the platiuum, aud the aque- 

 ous filtrate on distillation with potassium hydrate gave 

 triethylamine. 



Gadinine (from Gadus callarias, haddock) in small doses 

 does not appear to be poisonous ; larger doses (0.5-1 gramme) 

 are decidedly toxic and may kill guinea-pigs. The formula 

 of the free base as deduced from the analysis of the platiuo- 

 chloride may be either CjHi^NO, or C^HuNO^ OH. 



The Hydrochloride, CjH^NO^.HCI, as obtained by 

 the decomposition of the platiuochloride with hydrogen 

 sulphide, crystallizes under the desiccator in thick, colorless 

 needles, which are easily soluble in water; insoluble in 

 ■ alcohol. It forms no combination with gold chloride, but 

 does give crystalline precipitates with phosphomolybdic 

 acid, phosphotungstic acid, aud picric acid. 



The Platinochloride, (C7H,7NO,.HClXPtCl, (Ft = 

 27.68 per cent.), is at first quite soluble, and on standing over 

 a desiccator it crystallizes in golden-yellow plates, which, 

 when once formed, are again difficultly soluble in water. 

 It can be recrystallized from hot water. It melts at 214°. 



Typhotoxine, CjH^jNO.^. — This base was named thus 

 by Brieger in 1885 (III., 86), and is regarded by him as 

 the specific toxic product of the activity of Koch-Eberth'.s 

 typhoid bacillus. It is, however, probable that, as in the 

 case of tetanus, there are basic and other products formed. 

 He obtained it by cultivating the bacillus on beef-broth for 

 eight to fourteen days at the temperature 37.5-38°. The 

 nature of the soil on which it grows has a great deal to do 

 with the formation of the poison. An especially important 

 factor is the temperature : for Brieger has observed that 

 no poison was produced in one case where the temperature 

 remained by accident at 39° for twenty-four hours. In 

 such cases creatine is present in quantity, whereas otherwise 

 the reverse is the rule. 



In the process of extraction it occurs in the mercuric 

 chloride precipitate, and from this it is obtained, after the 

 removal of the mercury by hydrogen sulphide, as an easily 



