CHEMISTRY OF THE PTOMAINES. 263 



respiration, and slight moistening of tlie lower lip. The 

 pupils at first contract, then dilate ad maximum, and become 

 reactionless. The temperature remains at first normal ; 

 chills of short duration follow iu rapid succession. The 

 animal squats on the ground with its snout pressing against 

 the floor in exactly similar manner as is caused by the 

 mussel poison. Violent clonic convulsions follow in con- 

 tinually shorter intervals, and at the same time lachryma- 

 tiou and salivation become profuse, but not as excessive 

 as iu the case of the muscarine-like ptomaines. The tem- 

 perature sinks with the decrease in the rate of respiration, 

 the ears previously gorged become pale and cold, and the 

 heart-action becomes irregular and less frequent than before. 

 General paralysis sets in, but the head still moves upward 

 and backward. External stimuli induce violent clonic 

 convulsions, the animal repeats frequently choking move- 

 ments, and at the same time yields large quantities of 

 saliva; finally, it falls upon its side completely paralyzed, 

 and dies. The heart stops in diastole, the intestines are 

 pale and strongly contracted, and the bladder is empty and 

 likewise contracted. 



MoEEHUic Acid, C^HuNOj, was obtained by Gautier 

 and MouRGTJES (1888) from brown cod-liver oil, togetlier 

 with six bases, already described — namely, butylamine, 

 amylamine, hexylamine, dihydrolutidine, aselline and mor- 

 rhuine. These bases constitute about 0.2 per cent, of the 

 oil. The discoverers regard them as true leucomaines, 

 dissolved from the hepatic cells by the oil. It is more 

 probable, however, that these compounds are the products 

 of initial decomposition, and for that reason they are de- 

 scribed under the head of ptomaines. This compound is 

 relatively abundant, and is basic as well as acid iu charac- 

 ter. It is resinous in appearance, and can be crystallized 

 in flattened prisms, or large lance-shaped plates. When 

 recently precipitated it is oleaginous, viscous, then gradually 

 hardens. It possesses a disagreeable aromatic odor re- 

 sembling that of the sea-weeds, upon which the fish feed. 

 According to the discoverers its probable source is the 



