254 
Ptomaines. 
/Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\       May,  1887. 
the  composition  of  these  compounds.  From  decomposing  flesh,  Brieger 
obtained  neuridine,  C5H14N3,  and  neurine,  C5H13NO.  From  decom- 
posing fish  he  obtained  a  poisonous  isomeride  of  ethylendiainine,  pos- 
sibly ethylidenediamine,  C2H"4(NH2)2,  muscarine,  C5H15N03,  and  the 
physiologically  inactive  gadinine,  C6H17N02.  Fully  decomposed 
cheese  yielded  neuridine.  Decomposing  glue  gave  neuridine,  dim- 
ethylamine,  and  a  muscarine-like  base,  whilst  rotten  yeast  gave 
dimethylamine  only.  As  these  compounds  result  from  the  action  of 
bacteria  on  animal  tissues,  so  Brieger  showed  that  the  same  or  analo- 
gous compounds  were  similarly  formed  in  the  human  subject.  In  the 
earlier  stages  of  decomposition,  only  choline  was  found.  After  three 
days,  neuridine  appeared  in  increasing  amounts,  whilst  choline  grad- 
ually disappeared,  being  replaced  by  trimethylamine.  After  fourteen 
days,  neuridine  had  also  disappeared.  Later,  there  most  commonly 
appeared  cadaverine,  C5H16N2,  and  putrescine,  CJI12N2.  With  cada- 
verine  is  also  found  a  substance  of  the  same  composition,  called  saprine, 
but  differing  considerably  in  its  reactions.  The  bases  choline,  neuri- 
dine, cadaverine,  putrescine  and  saprine  are  physiologically  indifferent  • 
but  after  fourteen  days'  decomposition  a  new  poisonous  base,  mydaleine, 
was  obtained  which  seems  to  be  a  diamine.  In  human  remains  (heart, 
lung,  liver,  etc.),  maintained  at  — 9  to  +5°  C.  during  four  months, 
a  new  base,  my  dine,  C8HnNO,  was  found,  a  strongly  reducing  agent, 
and  a  poisonous  base,  mydatoxine,  C6H13N02,  also  the  poisonous 
methyl-guanidine  was  isolated.  O.  Bocklisch,  employing  Brieger's 
method,  obtained  a  large  number  of  bases  from  decomposing  fish. 
The  bases  so  obtained  were  not  poisonous,  and  attempts  to  separate 
the  injurious  compounds  were  unsuccessful.  The  fact  that  decom- 
position bacteria  induce  the  formation  of  numerous  basic  substances 
from  albuminoid  compounds,  makes  it  highly  probable  that  pathogenic 
bacteria  possess  similar  properties.  Thus,  Koch,  Mcati  and  Bietsch 
have  found  poisonous  ptomaines  in  cholera.  In  cultivation  of  typhus 
bacilla,  a  strongly  basic  poison,  typhotoxine,  C7H17N02,  was  obtained  ; 
and  from  tetanus  cultivations  a  strong  base,  tetanine,  C13H30N2O4,  was 
obtained.  The  bases  obtained  by  Brieger  are  either  liquids  of  definite 
boiling  point,  or  solid  crystalline  substances.  The  salts  show  the 
so-called  general  alkaloid  reactions,  so  that  as  a  group  the  ptomaines 
cannot  be  separated  from  the  alkaloids.  The  non-poisonous  ptomaines 
readily  give  rise  to  poisonous  compounds;  thus,  cadaverine,  which 
has  been  shown  by  Ladenburg  to  be  pentamethylenediamine,  is  con- 
