270 CHEMISTRY OF THE PTOMAINS. 



brownish-red amorphous deposit, while the potassium mercuric iodid 

 forms prisms. Gold chlorid yields difficultly, and platinum chlorid 

 easily soluble octahedra ; aqueous mercuric chlorid forms needles. 

 The aurochlorid has the formula CgHjjNj.AuCl^. 



This tetra-methyl derivative of putrescin is enormously poisonous 

 as compared with putrescin. The symptoms are the same as those 

 produced by muscarin or neurin. They are : abundant salivation ; 

 dyspnoea — respiration at first increases, then decreases ; contraction of 

 the pupils ; paralysis of the muscles of the limbs and trunk ; increased 

 peristaltic action of the intestines, ejaculation ot semen, dribbling of 

 urine, and finally violent clonic convulsions. In the case of mice 

 and guinea-pigs the convulsions are prominent immediately after the 

 injection of the poison. 



Putrescin hydrochlorid, C^H,2N2.2HC1, forms long colorless need- 

 les, which are very easily soluble in water ; difficultly so in dilute 

 alcohol ; entirely insoluble in absolute alcohol, and can thus be sep- 

 arated from cadaverin hydrochlorid. To accomplish this separation 

 it is, perhaps, better to dissolve the mixture of the hydrochlorids in 

 hot 96 per cent, alcohol. On cooling the solution thus obtained the 

 putrescin salt crystallizes out, whereas that of cadaverin remains in 

 solution. Putrescin hydrochlorid differs from cadaverin hydro- 

 chlorid in that it is not hygroscopic and can be exposed for days to 

 the air without showing any change on the surface of the crystals. 



For the behavior of the free base and the hydrochlorid to alka- 

 loidal reagents see Table I. Putrescin is not toxic, though it pos- 

 sesses some marked physiological properties (see cadaverin, page 273). 

 According to Scheurlen, putrescin, like cadaverin, produces inflam- 

 mation, suppuration and necrosis. It is not poisonous to dogs 

 (Udrdnszky and Baumann). It is optically inactive. 



The platinochlorid, C,Hi2N2.2HCl.PtCl, (Pt= 39.16 per cent.), 

 often appears under the microscope in the form of cholesterin-like 

 plates. In the pure condition it appears as six-sided plates, which are 

 superposed in layers. The crystals possess a splendid silvery luster, 

 and are rather difficultly soluble in cold water ; less so in hot water. 



The aurochlorid, C,Hj2N2.2HC1.2AuCl3 + 2H2O, crystallizes like- 

 wise in plates, which are difficultly soluble in cold water. It 

 can, therefore, be readily separated from cadaverin aurochlorid, 

 which is easily soluble in water. The water of crystallization can 

 be driven off completely only at 110° (Brieger). According to 

 Bocklisch, it loses this water on standing over sulphuric acid, or on 

 heating at 100°. 



The picrate, QJ1^^^.2QJS.J^0^pR, is difficultly soluble, and 

 crystallizes from a hot aqueous solution in needles ; from hot aque- 

 ous alcohol, on cooling, in yellow plates. It begins to brown at 

 230°, and on further heating becomes darker, till finally, at 250°, it 

 decomposes with rapid evolution of gas (Bocklisch). 



