RECENT ADVANCES IN SCIENCE 451 



CH 2 . O . Fatty acid radicle 



CH . O . Fatty acid radicle 



O 



II 

 CH 2 . O . P(OH) . OC 2 H 4 N(CH 3 ) 3 OH 



and kephalin in which the choline complex of lecithin is replaced 

 by aminoethyl alcohol NH 2 C 2 H 4 OH. 



In a paper entitled " Physicochemical Studies on the Syn- 

 thesis of Chlorophyll," two authors, Albert and Alexandre Mary 

 (Moniteur scientifique , 191 5, [v], 5, i. 121) propound the theory 

 that chlorophyll is a product of the polymerisation of aniline. 

 By adding nitrous acid drop by drop to a very concentrated 

 alcoholic solution of aniline, a white deposit is formed which 

 gradually becomes pink and finally green. At the same time 

 a green or reddish brown deposit is left on the walls of the 

 vessel. If this is extracted with benzene and the resulting 

 fluorescent green solution is evaporated in the dark, minute 

 dichroic crystals are obtained which, according to the authors, 

 are synthetic chlorophyll, the substance resembling the natural 

 product in solubilities, crystalline form, and spectrophotometric 

 character, and also in giving Fremy's reaction. If when the 

 reacting mixture becomes green a solution of sodium carbonate 

 is rapidly added, the whole of the colouring matter can be 

 extracted with benzene, but if the alkali is not added sufficiently 

 rapidly, the colour changes to red or brown, similar to that of 

 dead leaves. By reducing an acetic acid solution of chlorophyll 

 obtained from Hedera helix with iron and subsequently remov- 

 ing the latter with potassium ferrocyanide, the authors obtained 

 an amber-coloured solution of reduced chlorophyll which on 

 treatment with nitrous acid was reoxidised, becoming green 

 and finally reddish brown. 



The author's views concerning the constitution of chlorophyll 

 do not coincide with those of Willstatter. They do not regard 

 magnesium as an essential constituent, and state that when a 

 benzene solution of natural chlorophyll is repeatedly shaken 

 with aqueous ammonia until no more magnesium hydroxide is 

 precipitated, the spectrum of the benzene solution remains the 

 same as it was before treatment. 



No physical constants or analyses are given, and most of the 

 evidence is based on colour reactions. 



