A BASE. 327 



and the residue again extracted with alcohol. The extraction residue 

 was taken up with water, and again subjected to the above treatment 

 with zinc sulphate, barium hydrate, etc. 



The filtrate was poisonous and produced, in frogs, paralysis and 

 stoppage of the heart in diastole. Addition of platinum chlorid and 

 alcohol precipitated two bases. One of these, although possessing a 

 curara-like action, did not affect the heart. When its solution was 

 heated for twenty-four hours on a water-bath it caused general paraly- 

 sis and stoppage of the heart. The platinochlorid contained 38.05 

 per cent, of platinum. 



The other base also possessed a slight curara-like action and 

 its platinochlorid gave, on analysis, 40.92 and 39.4 per cent, of 

 platinum. 



Brieger found a basic substance in small quantities in cultures of 

 the staphylococcus pyogenes aureus on bouillon and beef-broth 

 (II., 74). The hydrochlorid formed groups of colorless non-deli- 

 quescent needles. With platinum chlorid it yielded a double salt, 

 crystallizing in needles, and containing 32.93 per cent, of Pt. For 

 its reactions, see Table I. 



From aqueous as well as alcoholic extracts of cultures of staphylo- 

 coccus aureus, Leber (1888) isolated a crystalline substance which 

 he named phlogodn. The composition of this substance is not known. 

 It does not seem to contain nitrogen, and inasmuch as it blackens 

 silver it probably contains sulphur. It crystallizes in fine needles 

 which are soluble in ether and in alcohol ; difficultly soluble in water. 

 It sublimes in needles. Alkalis precipitate it as amorphous yellow 

 floccules which are soluble in acid and then can be recrystallized. 

 With potassium ferricyanid and ferric chlorid it yields a blue color, 

 and with potassio-mercuric, cadmic, and bismuth iodids precipitates 

 which are soluble in excess. No precipitate is produced by gold or 

 platinum chlorid, phosphotungstic, or molybdic, tannic, or picric 

 acids. 



A small quantity applied to the conjunctiva produces intense 

 inflammation , suppuration, and necrosis. Introduced into the anterior 

 chamber it induces intense suppuration and keratitis. The substance 

 is entirely distinct from the base obtained by Brieger and described 

 above. 



A Base — boiling-point about 284° — was obtained by Brieger (II., 

 61) from human livers and spleens which were putrefying for two or 

 three weeks. It occurs in the mercuric chlorid filtrate, as described 

 under saprin, page 279, together with some mydalein, trimethylamin, 

 and a hydrocarbon. The filtrate, after the mercury is removed by 

 hydrogen sulphid, is evaporated to dryness, and finally the last traces 

 of water are removed in a vacuum. The residue is then treated with 

 absolute alcohol, and from this alcoholic solution the mydalein is 



