CHAPTER XIII. 



THE IMPOBTANCE OF BACTERIAL PB0DUCT8 TO THE 

 TOXICOLOGIST. 



The presence in the cadaver of substances which give not only 

 the general alkaloidal reactions, but respond to some of the tests 

 which have hitherto been considered characteristic of individual 

 vegetable alkaloids, is of importance to the toxicologist. The possi- 

 bility of mistaking putrefactive for vegetable alkaloids should always 

 be borne in mind by the chemist in making any medico-legal inves- 

 tigations. On the other hand, cases of poisoning with bacterial prod- 

 ucts sometimes terminate fatally, and in such instances the chemist 

 should not be satisfied with determining the absence of mineral and 

 vegetable poison, but should strive to detect in the food or in the 

 dead body positive evidence of the presence of the putrefactive 

 poison. 



We herewith append a brief account of some of the cases in which 

 putrefactive substances have been found to resemble in their reactions 

 the vegetable alkaloids. 



Goniin-like Substances. — In the Brandes-Krebs trial, which 

 took place in Braunschweig in 1874, two chemists obtained from 

 the undecomposed parts of the body, in addition to arsenic, an alka- 

 loid which they pronounced coniin. This substance was referred to 

 Otto for further examination and he reported that it was neither 

 coniin nor nicotin, nor any vegetable alkaloid with which he was 

 acquainted. He converted the substance into an oxalate, dissolved 

 it in alcohol, evaporated the alcohol, dissolved the residue in water, 

 rendered this solution alkaline with potash, then extracted the bases 

 with petroleum ether. On evaporation of this extract the alkaloid 

 appeared as a bright yellow oil, which had a strong unpleasant odor, 

 quite different, however, from that of coniin. It was strongly alka- 

 line, had an intensely bitter taste, and was volatile at ordinary tem- 

 perature. From its aqueous solution it was precipitated by the 

 chlorides of gold, platinum and mercury. In these reactions it re- 

 sembled nicotin from which it differed in the double refractive and 

 crystalline character of its hydrochlorid. With an ethereal solution 

 of iodin this substance did not give the Eoussin test for nicotin, but 

 instead of the long ruby-red crystals there appeared small, dark green, 

 needle-shaped ones. 



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