452 CHEMISTRY OF THE LEUCOMAINS. 



This was soon confirmed by Hofmann and by Ladenburg. Spermin 

 was then assumed to be identical with piperazin, but later (1891) 

 Majert and Schmidt compared some spermin from Schreiner with 

 their own piperazin and found the two bases to be distinct, especially 

 with reference to the phosphate and the potassium bismuth iodid 

 precipitatee. Poehl confirmed the difference between spermin and 

 piperazin. 



On cleavage of casein with hydrochloric acid Cohn ^ obtained a 

 substance which at first he regarded as a pyridin derivative, C^H^NO. 

 Later (1900), he gave up his view as to its pyridin nature and 

 adopted the formula (CjHjjNO), , that of a leucinimid. This body 

 as well as the basic reduction product (CjHjjN), he now regards as 

 derivatives of piperazin or diethylenediamin. The piperazin nature 

 of Cohn's products is supported by the work of Hoyer.^ Nevertheless 

 it is true that as yet there is no evidence that piperazin bases exist 

 preformed in the proteid molecule. The related pyrimidin group, 

 however, is present (see p. 418). 



In 1891 Poehl announced that the composition of spermin was 

 more complex than was formerly supposed. He ascribed to it the 

 formula Ci^Hj^N^ . The formula of the platinum salt corresponded 

 to CjjHjgN^.4HC1.2PtCl^ ; and that of the gold salt was represented 

 by Ci„Hj„N,.4HC1.4AuCl3 . Later he gave the formula C^H^Nj . 



From this it would appear that spermin is essentially distinct 

 from piperazin. The composition and structure of this interesting 

 base must therefore be considered as not settled. Undoubtedly 

 bodies of entirely different composition have been included under 

 the head of spermin. It is quite probable that it is related to 

 cadaverin in which case its source might be looked for in the prota- 

 min or histon molecule. 



According to Poehl, it acts as a tonic on the entire nervous 

 system. 



a-Methyl quinolin, Ci„H,N, is present in part or wholly as the 

 free base in the secretion of the anal glands of the skunk (Mephitis 

 mephitioa). It was isolated in 1897 by Aldrich and Jones ' and is 

 of special interest since, with the exception of the kynurenic acid* 

 from the dog's urine, it is the only quinolin compound isolated 

 from the animal body. The structure of these two quinolin deriva- 

 tives is represented by the formulse : 



^Zeits. phydol. Chem., 22, 153 ; 26, 395 ; 29, 283. 

 'Zeits. physiol Chem., 34, 347. 

 'Jtnim. Exp. Med., 2, 439, 1897. 

 * Zeits. phyml. Chem., 33, 390, 1901. 



