OADAVEBIN. 271 



The carbonate is crystalline. 



The mercury double salt is easily soluble in a large quantity of 

 water, and can thus be separated from the cadaverin salt, which is 

 difficultly soluble. From hot concentrated aqueous solution it crys- 

 tallizes in needles. 



The dibenzoyl-putrescin, C^Hg(NHCOCjHj.)jj, forms silky plates 

 or long needles, which are more difficultly soluble in hot alcohol than 

 those of the cadaverin compound. From this solution it is repre- 

 cipitated by addition of water or ether. Its melting-point is 175°. 

 It sublimes without decomposition. 



Cadaverin, C^Hj^N^, is a diamin isomeric with saprin and neu- 

 ridin, and, like the latter, it occurs very frequently in decomposing 

 animal tissues. Twelve isomers of this composition are possible. 

 Another isomer, gerontin (see next chapter), has been described by 

 Grandis (1890). It is a very striking fact that in ordinary putre- 

 faction as cholin disappears the diamins appear and increase in 

 quantity according as the time of putrefaction is extended. It is 

 also worthy of note that cadaverin appears in putrefaction before 

 putrescin. It has been obtained by Brieger (1886) from human 

 lungs, hearts, livers, etc. (hence the name), which were allowed to 

 putrefy at the ordinary temperature for three days ; from the same 

 organs, and from horseflesh, after four months in a closed vessel at 

 — 9° to + 5° ; from horseflesh after four months at 15°, together 

 with cholin, and probably muscarin (Gulewitsch) ; from putrid mus- 

 sel after sixteen days ; from putrid egg and blood-albumin. It 

 seems to be a constant product of the growth of the comma bacillus, 

 irrespective of the soil on which it is cultivated. 



Bocklisch has isolated it from perch and pike, six days in mid- 

 summer ; from herring, twelve days in spring ; from haddock, two 

 months at a low temperature ; from cultivations of Finkler and Prior's 

 vibrio proteus on beef-broth, thirty to thirty-five days at 37° to 38° 

 {Ber. chem. Ges., 20, 1441). Cadaverin seems to be a constant prod- 

 uct of the activity of the genus vibrio, and it does not usually occur 

 in cultures in which this genus is absent. Thus, it is not present in 

 the excrements of healthy or typhoid patients, although Jakowski did 

 find it in the intestinal contents in a case of fistula. It has not been 

 obtained from cultures of Emmerich's bacillus, of Eberth's bacillus, 

 and of the pyogenic bacteria. It occurs in cultures of the bacillus 

 of hog cholera (Schweinitz) ; and of the bacillus piscicidus agilis 

 (Sieber). Oechsner de Coninck has found it in putrid jelly-fish 

 (Hugounenq), It is present with putrescin in the urine and feces of 

 cystinuria (tJdr^nszky and Baumann (1888), see page 265). The 

 odor of cholera stools and the breath of cholera patients may be pos- 

 sibly due to cadaverin, although Eoos has not been able to obtain 

 diamins from the rice-water discharges of cholera. In one of four 



