Ptomaïns, leucomaïns, toxins and antitoxins, or, The chemical factors in the causation of disease / by Victor C. Vaughan and Frederick G. Novy.

  • Vaughan, Victor C. (Victor Clarence), 1851-1929
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ptomaïns, leucomaïns, toxins and antitoxins, or, The chemical factors in the causation of disease / by Victor C. Vaughan and Frederick G. Novy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    compound of this substance gave the formula C10H15N. This substance will be discussed in a future chapter. From fresh brain substance they separated ammonia, trime- thylamin, and an undetermined base. These, however, are not to be regarded as products of putrefaction, but as result- ing from the action of the reagents upon the brain substance. The trimethylamin probably arises from the splitting up of lecithin, while the undetermined base is most likely cholin, which also results from the breaking up of the lecithin mole- cule. They also show that when DragendorfTs method is used basic substances can be obtained from fresh meat, and these are shown to be produced by the action of the sulphuric acid on the flesh. To Brieger (1882-88) is due the credit of isolating and determining the composition of a number of ptomains. From putrid flesh he obtained neuridin, C5HUN4, and neurin, C5H13XO. The former is inert, while the latter is poisonous. From decomposed fish he separated a poisonous base, CaH4 (NE^j, which is an isomer of ethylidenediamin; muscarin, CjH.sNO,, and an inert substance, C7H17NO,, gadinin. Rotten cheese yielded neuridin and trimethylamin. Decomposed glue gave neuridin, dimethylamin, and a muscarin-like base. In the cadaver, he has found in different stages of decomposition, cholin, neuridin, trimethylamin, cadaverin, C.1IUX3, putrescin, ('jir,,^^,, and saprin, C5H1BX2. These are all inert. After fourteen days of decomposition he found a poisonous sub- stance, mydalein. From a cadaver which had been kept at from —9° to + 5° for four months, Brieger obtained mydin, C8HuNO, the poisonous substance mydatoxin, C#HlsNOa, also the poison methyl-guanidin. From poisonous mussel he sepa- rated mytilotoxin, C6H16X< ).r From pure cultures of the typhoid bacillus of Koch and Eberth, Brieger obtained a poison, typhotoxin, and, from like cultures of the tetanus germ of Rosenbach and Nicolaier, tetanin. All of these bases will be discussed in detail in a subsequent chapter.