It is well recognized that the amines, as well as ammonia, are products of protein decomposition. Allen’ quotes several authors who report finding one or .more of the alkylamines in decomposed protein products. Thus Bocklisch2 frequently found methylamine in spoiled fish. He suggests that it is formed in such material by the loss of carbon dioxide from glycine and also from trimethyl- amine. Dimethylamine was found in herring brine by Bocklisch, in putrid gelatin and yeast by Brieger, and in poisonous sausage by Ehrenberg.3 In the bacterial cultures from this sausage Ehrenberg reports finding diethylamine. Allen also states that ethylamine has been obtained from putrid yeast and flour, and that trimethylamine is a common putre- factive product found in herring brine and in extract of ergot. It is known that various forms of amines occur in the tissues of fish. In the preparation of salt-cured fish, amines are extracted or formed from the fish proteins, herring brine, for example, fur- nishing a commercial source for trimethylamine. In the determination of ammonia in biological fluids and in food products by Nesslerizing4 the volatilized base, obtained by aera-
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Weber et al. (1918) studied this question.