CHEMISTRY OF THE PTOMAINES 273 



throws down metallic gold from solutions of gold 

 chloride. 



From poisonous mussel, Brieger (III., 79) obtained an 

 aurochloride of a base crystallizing in needles. The quan- 

 tity isolated was insufficient for analysis. It is interesting 

 because of its property of inducing salivation, a symptom 

 which has been observed by Schmidtmann and by CeUmpic 

 in some cases of mussel poisoning. 



A Base was obtained by Guareschi and Mosso (Journ. 

 fiir prakiische Chem., 28, 508) irom fresh beef, in the 

 alkaline ether extract obtained by Dragendoeff's method. 

 It formed a yellowish alkaline fluid, of unpleasant odor, 

 and after a time gave a deposit of microscopic crystals. 

 The hydrochloride gave the following reactions : Gold chlo- 

 ride, yellow crystalline precipitate ; platinum chloride, pre- 

 cipitate ; potassium iodide and ibdine in hydriodic acid, 

 kermes-red precipitate ; phosphotungstic acid, nothing ; 

 phosphomolybdic acid, an abundant yellow precipitate; tan- 

 nic acid, heavy, grayish precipitate, same with Mayer's 

 reagent ; picric acid, yellow precipitate ; Marme's reagent, 

 precipitate soluble in excess ; potassium bichromate, noth- 

 ing ; potassium permanganate and sulphuric acid, violet 

 color ; potassium ferricyaoide and ferric chloride, Prussian 

 blue precipitate. 



By giving a precipitate with tannin, and not with phos- 

 photungstic acid, it resembles neurine. 



Ch. Gram has studied the decomposition of yeast under 

 the influence of an infusion of hay. The yeast was allowed 

 to putrefy for fourteen days, and was then treated with zinc 

 sulphate. The latter was precipitated by barium hydrate, 

 and the filtrate after the removal of the barium by sul- 

 phuric acid, was evaporated to dryness, ahd extracted with 

 absolute alcohol. The alcoholic solution was evaporated, 

 and the residue again extracted with alcohol. The extrac- 

 tion residue was taken up with water, and again subjected to 

 the above treatment with zinc sulphate, barium hydrate, etc. 



