260 BACTERIAL POISONS. 



deliquescent hydrochloride. This for the purpose of puri- 

 fication is converted into the difficultly soluble aurochloride. 



Typhotoxine is isomeric with gadinine and the compound 

 CyHiyNOj, which Beieger obtained from putrefying horse- 

 flesh. In its properties it is, however, very different. 

 Thus, the free base is strongly alkaline and its hydrochloride 

 yields a difficultly soluble picrate. On the other hand, the 

 isomer from horseflesh possesses a slightly acid reaction, 

 and does not form a picrate. Again, typhotoxine gives 

 with Ehrlich's reagent (sulpho-diazobenzole) an imme- 

 diate yellow color, which disappears upon the addition of 

 alkali, whereas the isomer does not give this reaction. 

 Furthermore, the two bases difler in their physiological 

 action and in their behavior to alkaloidal reagents (see • 

 Table I.). Their aurochlorides, liowever, possess the same 

 melting-point. 



The Hydrochloride is readily deliquescent, and unites 

 with platinum chloride to form an easily soluble double 

 salt crystallizing in needles. 



The Aurochloride, C^Hi^lSrOa.HCl.AuCis (Au = 40.46 

 per cent.), is difficultly soluble, and crystallizes in prisms, 

 which melt at 176°. In its melting-point and solubility 

 (197°, Brieger, Arch. f. pathol. Anat., 115, 489) it 

 agrees with its isomer from horseflesh. From some of his 

 first experiments in the cultivation of the typhoid bacillus, 

 Brieger (II., 69) obtained a basic product differing in 

 some of its characters from typhotoxine. Its aurochloride, 

 on analysis, gave 41.91 and 41.97 per cent, of Au, 16.06 

 per cent, of C, and 3.66 per cent, of H. ; while typho- 

 toxine aurochloride gave' 40.78 per cent. Au, 17.38 per 

 cent. C, and 3.85 per cent. H. For a comparison of the 

 reaction of these two substances see Table I. 



In its physiological action, typhotoxine differs from its 

 isomer (page 262) in that the latter produces symptoms 

 with, well-marked convulsions, whilst the former throws 

 the animal into more of a paralytic or lethargic condition. 

 The action of this base has been studied only on mice and 

 guinea-pigs. It produces at first slight salivation with 

 increased respiration; the animals lose control over the 



