'^"iyiay^i882*^'""}   Analytical  Researches  and  Investigations,  223 
are  most  readily  formed  when  the  putrefaction  takes  place  with  exclu- 
sion of  the  air,  and  result  from  the  union  of  certain  hydrocarbons  with 
the  nitrogen  proceeding  from  the  tissues  or  from  the  animal  liquids, 
while  the  oxygen  of  these  materials  and  their  carbon  are  dissipated  in 
the  form  of  carbonic  acid  gas.     They  may  also  be  formed  during  life. 
A.  Gautier,  whom  Selmi  was  pleased  to  recognize  as  the  first 
chemist  to  affirm  the  existence  of  ptomaines  in  putrefying  matters,  has 
expressed  the  opinion  that  they  result  from  a  division  of  the  albumin- 
oid matters.  He  has  searched  for  them  among  the  products  of  secre- 
tion of  certain  animals  which  are  provided  with  special  glands,  and 
has  confirmed  their  presence  in  the  venom  of  reptiles. 
Pursuing  the  thought  of  the  physiological  formation  of  these  bodies, 
the  question  arose  whether  the  salivary  glands  of  the  superior  animals 
would  not  produce  toxic  substances,  analogous  to  the  venom  of 
serpents,  and  has  indeed  found  in  normal  human  saliva,  a  very  toxic 
substance,  particularly  in  its  action  upon  birds,  with  which  it  produces 
intense  stupefaction.  It  consists  principally  of  a  venomous  alkaloid, 
forming  a  soluble  and  uncrystallizable  chloro-platinate  and  chloro- 
aurate,  of  the  nature  of  the  cadaver  alkaloids. 
Based  upon  the  interesting  results  of  Gautier,  the  author  has  sought 
to  disclose  the  presence  of  ptomaines  in  the  inferior  animals,  select- 
ing the  comestible  oyster  and  the  common  mussel  as  the  subjects 
for  experiment. 
The  animal,  after  having  been  detached  from  the  shell,  was  deprived 
of  the  larger  part  of  the  tissue,  in  order  to  retain  simply  the  central 
organ,  the  stomach  and  liver,  upon  which  the  experiments  were  made. 
The  material  was  rubbed  in  a  mortar  with  sand,  which  latter  had 
been  previously  washed  with  acid  and  strongly  ignited,  and  finally  the 
organic  material,  after  complete  desiccation  in  a  bath  of  salt  water, 
introduced  into  an  apparatus  for  continual  displacement,  and  treated 
with  hot  ether.  The  etherial  liquid,  evaporated  to  the  consistence  of 
an  extract,  contained  a  notable  quantity  of  fatty  matter  mixed  with 
chlorophyll,  the  presence  of  which  was  easily  disclosed,  either  by  the 
aid  of  the  spectroscope  or  by  means  of  concentrated  hydrochloric 
acid.  The  etherial  extract  was  then  extracted  with  water,  without  the 
addition  of  an  acid. 
The  aqueous  solution,  evaporated  to  a  convenient  quantity,  presented 
all  the  characters  of  the  cadaver  alkaloids.  It  gave  a  yellowish-white 
precipitate  with  potassio-mercurie  iodide  and  potassio-cadmic  iodide. 
