318 CHEMISTRY OF THE PTOMAINS. 



consider it to be a base (a ptomain). It differs, however, from the 

 amido acids in its poisonous character ; in the fact that, unlike an 

 acid, it does not unite with bases to form salts ; and in not giving 

 the characteristic red coloration (Hofmeister's reaction for the amido 

 acids) with ferric chlorid. Whatever the true nature of this sub- 

 stance may be, it nevertheless in its other properties behaves like a 

 base. Thus, it forms simple as well as double salts. On boiling 

 with copper acetate it gives amorphous floccules. Under the desic- 

 cator it solidifies into plates which deliquesce on exposure to the 

 air. It does not combine either with silver oxid or with cupric 

 hydrate. On dry distillation it yields a distillate possessing a strong 

 acid reaction and a peculiar odor. The distillate does not give any 

 precipitate with platinum chlorid, or with gold chlorid, nor does it 

 react with copper acetate. With phosphomolybdic acid, however, it 

 forms an amorphous mass ; with ferric chlorid and potassium ferri- 

 cyanid it yields an immediate precipitate of Berlin blue, whereas the 

 original substance does not give any blue coloration. 



The hydrochlorid, C^,yNOj.HCl, crystallizes in fine needles which 

 are insoluble in absolute alcohol. When the aqueous solution is 

 treated with freshly precipitated silver oxid the resulting filtrate con- 

 tains in solution some silver oxid, which can be removed by hydrogen 

 sulphid; thus differing from an ammoniacal silver solution, which 

 gives no precipitate on treatment with hydrogen sulphid. In this 

 respect it resembles SaJkowski's base, page 287. For reactions of 

 the hydrochlorid, see Table I. 



The aurochlorid, CyHjyNOj.HCl.AuClj, forms plates which are 

 difficultly soluble in water and melt at 176° — ^the melting-point of 

 the gold salt of typhotoxin. It is dimorphous, since sometimes it is 

 also obtained in needles which can be changed into plates. 



It does not form a picrate, nor does it give a reaction with sulpho- 

 diazobenzol. 



This substance, when injected into frogs, produces a curara-Uke 

 action. A few minutes after the injection the animal falls into a 

 condition of paralysis and, although it can still react toward reflexes, 

 it cannot move from its place. At times fibrillary twitchings pass 

 over the body. The pupils dilate, the heart-action becomes gradually 

 weaker, and finally, after several hours, the animal dies with the 

 heart in diastole. Doses of 0.05 to 0.3 gram of the hydrochlorid, 

 injected into guinea-pigs, produce in a short time a slight tremor, 

 gradual increase in respiration, and slight moistening of the lower 

 lip. The pupils at first contract, then dilate ad maximum and be- 

 come reactionless. The temperature remains at first normal ; chills 

 of short duration follow in rapid succession. The animal squats on 

 the ground, with its snout pressing against the floor in exactly the 

 same way as in the case of mussel-poison. Violent clonic convul- 

 sions follow in continually shorter intervals, and at the same time 



