KREATININE,  AN  INDEX  OF  PUTREFACTION.  131 
simple  test  which  is  in  itself  fallacious  ;  and  it  would  be  well  if 
we  could  have  some  more  ready  method  of  detecting  this  adul- 
teration than  the  tedious,  yet  more  reliable,  one  which  already 
exists. 
Our  daily  high-pressure  hard  work  precludes  the  majority  of 
us  from  bestowing  that  attention  to  these  necessary  details  of 
examination  of  the  materials  we  use,  which,  from  the  great  com- 
petition in  the  markets,  renders  it  necessary  that  we  watch  to 
see  if  our  preparations  are  carefully  prepared,  and  really  what 
they  profess  to  be. 
27,  Upper  Rock  G-ardens,  Brighton,  Sept.  15th,  1868. 
— Lond.  Pharm.  Journ.,  Dec,  1868. 
KREATININE,  AN  INDEX  OF  PUTREFACTION. 
By  M.  Commaille. 
An  index  of  the  commencement  of  putrefaction  in  many  ani- 
mal substances  may  possibly  be  found  by  the  presence  of  kreat- 
inine.    In  a  note  on  the  presence  of  this  body  in  putrified  whey, 
M.  Commaille,  among  other  interesting  things,  mentions  the 
above  fact.    Some  filtered  whey  was  placed  in  a  flask,  simply 
covered  with  paper,  and  set  aside  for  about  a  year.    The  whey 
fermented  and  then  putrified ;  numerous  microzymas  made  their 
appearance,  and  the  liquid  became  colored  a  deep  brown.  After- 
wards, the  animal  life  gave  place  to  a  thick  mass  of  spores ;  the 
foetid  odor  was  succeeded  by  a  musty  odor  only.    The  liquid 
thus  altered  was  filtered,  evaporated  on  the  water-bath,  and 
treated  with  alcohol  of  95°,  which  became  strongly  colored. 
This  alcoholic  solution  was  evaporated  and  the  residue  treated 
with  alcohol  of  90°,  which  removed  a  portion ;  the  substances 
obtained  from  the  evaporation  of  the  alcohol  of  90°  were  divided 
by  alcohol  of  95°.    That  portion  undissolved  treated  with  water 
gave  abundant  crystals  containing  much  mineral  matter.  Cal- 
cined, these  crystals  leave  a  white  and  saline  ash ;  treated,  after 
solution,  with  nitrate  of  silver  they  yield  a  voluminous  precipitate, 
which  cedes  to  boiling  water  a  small  quantity  of  long  needles, 
which  are  perhaps  nitrate  of  kreatinine.    The  portion  removed 
by  alcohol  of  95°  furnishes,  upon  evaporation  of  the  liquid, 
