258 
Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [sess. ! 
of the metabolism of protoplasm, or the result of the decomposition 
of albuminoid substances. 
Since my last paper (Joe. cit.) was published, I have discovered a 
new alkaloid produced by Bacterium allii * growing on nutrient 
agar-agar, having the following symbolic formula, C 10 H l7 N. The 
results of the analyses of this substance were as follows : — 
I II. III. 
C =79*47 79-50 79-48 
11 = 11-26 ... 11-24 
N= 9-27 
The alkaloid (extracted by Gautier’s process) is a white solid — 
soluble in water, alcohol, ether, and chloroform. It crystallises 
from water in microscopic needles belonging to the prismatic system. 
These crystals are extremely deliquescent. The alkaloid forms a 
platino-chloride having the composition (C 10 H l7 N, HC1) 2 PtCl 4 . It 
is a yellow-coloured compound, slightly soluble in cold water, but 
soluble in hot water. 
II. Action of Certain Antiseptics and Disinfectants upon 
Microbes. 
I have already shown ( loc . cit.) the action of disinfectants on a 
number of organisms, but a much more efficient germicide has recently 
been reported on by Bouchard. 
Bouchard (Comptes Rendus , vol. 105, p. 702) found that 0*33 
gram, of /?-naphthol in 1000 c.c. of various cultivating media pre- 
vented the development of several species of “ bacteria,” including 
those of — 
Bacillus anthracis. 
Bacterium pneumonicum agile. 
Bacillus typhosus (weak cultivations). 
Bacillus tuberculosis (retards the development). 
Bacterium cholerce gallinarum. 
This substance may be introduced into the stomach of a rabbit to 
the extent of 3*8 grammes per kilogramme without producing death. 
“The fatal dose for a man of 65 kilogrammes would therefore be 
* Several tubes containing growths of B. allii were exhibited at the meeting 
of the Lincoln Scientific and Literary Society on March 3, 1888. 
