' 18 
Transactions Texas Academy of Science. 
ing these poisons from the bacteria, and by inoculating animals 
with them proved that the proliferation of a number of pathogenic 
organisms in the body was less injurious to the body than the 
soluble poisons produced by them. Brieger viewed these poisons 
as organic bases, the so-called ptomains ; but, subsequently some of 
them were shown to be either proteid or proteid-like bodies, and 
many of them acted not unlike digestive ferments. Brieger and 
Frankel named the proteid-like bodies toxalbumins. Among the 
toxins are uncrystallizable poisons the complex chemical structure 
of which has not yet been made out. The ptomains are erystalliza- 
ble products of bacterial activity somewhat analogous to the vege- 
table alkaloids. Some possess toxic properties, while others do not. 
The chemical structure of some of them is well known, but the 
structure of toxalbumins is a problem for future work. 
In his work on “Ptomaines and Leucomaines,” Vaughan 24 
points out a very interesting chemical relationship between some 
of the non-poisonous and poisonous members of the cholin group. 
Starting with trimethyl-ethyl-ammonium hydroxide, by oxidation 
cholin, neurin, betain, and muscarin are derived as follows : 
ch 3 ch 2 .oh ch 2 .oh ch 2 
t)H 2 +0 = CH 2 CH 2 — H 2 0 = CH 
N(CH 3 ) 3 OH N(CH 3 ) 3 OH; N(CH 3 ) 3 OH ]Sr(CH 3 ) ¥ OH; 
Trimethyl-ethyl- (Cholin) (Cholin) (Neurin: Vinyl-tri- 
ammonium (Oxyethyl-trimethyl-ammonium methyl-ammonium 
hydroxide) . hydroxide) hydroxide) 
CH 2 .OH CO. OH CH 2 .OH * cii 2 .oh 
c!h 2 +0 2 = (iH 2 CH 2 + O = CH.OH 
]ST(CH 3 ) 3 OH ]Sl(CH 3 ) 3 OH ;N(CH s ) 3 OH jN r (OH 3 ) 3 OH. 
Cholin) (Betain: (Muscarin: Dioxye- 
(Trimethyl- thy 1 - trimethvl - am- 
glycoeoll) monium - hydroxide) 
The structural formulae show the little change that is necessary 
to convert an innocuous substance into a very poisonous one, and 
vice versa. Cholin is only poisonous in large doses, while very 
small doses of neurin and muscarin are highly poisonous. Betain 
is not poisonous. 
Methylguanidin 
V Ul2 \CH 2 .NII/ 
(XII: C /NH2 
\NH. (dig)/, trimethylenediamin 
and tyrotoxicon (diazobenzene-potassoxide, 
C 6 H 5 .N 2 .OK) are three other poisonous ptomains whose chemical 
structure is well known. Typhotoxin (C 7 H 17 N0 2 ) is said to be 
the toxin which gives rise to the typhoid intoxication, and Brieger 
