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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1889. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXXI. THE ALKALOIDS OF PUTREFACTION--PTOMAINES. Within the past few years the attention of toxicologists has been called to the existence of a certain class of bodies, to which Selmi has given the name of Ptomaines (from.KTu!.a, a dead bod), resulting from the decay of organic substances--chiefly animal. These bodies strongly resemble the vegetable alkaloids in their chemical and physiological actions. Whilst some of them are very poisonous, the majority are inert, and others again seem to act antagonistically to certain poisonous alkaloids. It has long been known that putrescent meat will occasion severe, and sometimes fatal symptoms in persons who partake of it. These symptoms are of a narcotico-irritant character, and strongly resemble those produced by certain familiar poisons. Similar effects are also known to occasionally result from cheese, sausages and certain shell-fish, particularly from mussels (vide ante, p. 353); and, in some instances, from canned meat and vegetables. These anomalous symptoms have formerly been attributed to various causes, but hitherto no satisfactory explanation of them has ever been offered, until the discovery of the Ptomaines has solved the mystery, and afforded a rational and scientific solution. It is now generally understood that putrefaction is due to the presence of bacteria, which, when introduced into the animal body, may speedily develop serious and even fatal disease. This fact affords a satisfactory explanation of those otherwise obscure cases of poisoning that occasionally result from partaking of certain articles of food, such as canned provisions, milk, ice cream, sausage, cheese, etc., which have undergone unsuspected putrefaction. To the same bacterial pathogenic origin, it is now customary to ref...

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