CHAPTER XXI. 



Poisonous Alkaeoids and Albuminoids. 



Early Observations — Burrows, Kerner, Panum, &c. — Ptomaines — Leuco- 

 maines — Brieger's Work— The Alkaloids, Poisonousand Non-Poisonous 

 — General and Local Reactions — Structure and Composition— Sketch 

 of Chemistry — Cholera Poisons and other Members of this Group- 

 Mussel Poisons : two Classes, viz. , those "Without Oxygen and those 

 Containing Oxygen— Ptomaines the Result of the Activity of Micro- 

 organisms — Lbffler's Experiments on Diphtheria Poison, an 

 Enzyme — Roux and Yersin's Diastase —Hankin, Albumose— Brieger 

 and Fraenkel, Toxalbumen— Method of Preparation of Albumoses 

 and of Toxalbumens — Near Relationship of Proteid Poisons and the 

 Ptomaines — Martin's Observations. 



It has long been known that the products of putrefaction, 

 especially those formed during the putrefaction of fish, are 

 extremely poisonous. In 1814 Burrows, in this country, 

 described such a poisonous substance in putrefying fish ; 

 in 1820 Kerner described a poisonous alkaloid which 

 resulted apparently from the decomposition of albumen ; 

 it resembled in its physiological action a substance that he 

 had found in poisonous sausages, and which he compared with 

 atropine as regards its toxic reaction. In 1856 Panum was 

 able to obtain a substance from decomposing animal matter 

 which appeared to him to be derived from albuminoid 

 substances through the action upon them of micro-organ- 

 isms. He looked upon this as a purely chemical material. 

 He was able to isolate it by dissolving it in water or 

 alcohol ; in quantities of about six centigrammes it proved 

 fatal to dogs, and this substance, to. which the name sepsin 

 was given, came to be looked upon as the cause of putrid 

 infection or intoxication. Twelve years later Bergmann 

 and Schmiedeberg obtained what they took to be a similar 

 substance ; it contained nitrogen, could be crystallized out 

 and separated, and was also evidently the result of a putre- 

 factive process. 



