Ptomaïnes and leucomaïnes, and bacterial proteids, 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:
1891
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ptomaïnes and leucomaïnes, and bacterial proteids, or the chemical factors in the causation of disease / By Victor C. Vaughan ... and Frederick G. Novy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

    20/401 (page 16)
    substance depends upon the conditions under which, and the time during which, it is administered. Thirty grains of quinine may be taken by a healthy man during twenty- four hours without any appreciably, ill effect, yet few of us would be willing to admit that the administration of this amount daily for three months would be wise or altogether free from injury. In the same manner the administration of a given quantity of a putrefactive alkaloid to a dog or guinea-pig in a single dose may do no harm, while the daily production of the same substance in the intestine of a man and its absorption continued through weeks and pos- sibly months may be of marked detriment to the health. We do not as yet know enough about the physiological or toxicological action of the putrefactive alkaloids to render the classification proposed by Brieger worthy of general adoption. All ptomaines contain nitrogen as an essential part of their basic character. In this they resemble the vegetable alkaloids. Some of them contain oxygen, while others do not. The latter correspond to the volatile vegetable alka- loids, nicotine and coniine, and the former correspond to the fixed alkaloids. Since all putrefaction is due to the action of bacteria, it follows that all ptomaines result from the growth of these micro5rganisms. The kind of ptomaine formed will de- pend upon the individual bacterium engaged in its produc- tion, the nature of the material being acted upon, and the conditions under which the putrefaction goes on, such as the temperature, amount of oxygen present, and the duration of the process. Brieger found that, although the Eberth bacillus grew well in solutions of peptone, it did not produce any pto- maine ; while from cultures of the same bacillus in beef-tea he obtained a poisonous alkaloid. Frrz found that whilst the bacillus butyricus produces by its action on carbohy- drates butyric acid, in glycerin it produces propylic alcohol, and Morin has found amyl alcohol among the products of this germi. Browjst has shown that while the mycoderma aceti converts ethylic alcohol into acetic acid, it converts