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THE FATTY ACIDS OF BRAIN LIPOIDS. 



Part i. 



By E. C. Grey, B.Sc, Junior Demonstrator in Physiology in 

 THE University of Sydney. 



(From the Physiological Laboratory of the University of Sydney.) 



Contents. 

 Historical. 



Part i. The fatty acids obtained by complete saponification of 

 brain-substance. 



The development of lipoid chemistry is reviewed by Bang* 

 and by Glikin.f It is intended here to bring together the work 

 done with regard to the fatty acids of lipoids. 



Diakonow in 1868(1) showed that various fractions of phospha- 

 tides could be obtained, differing in the nature of their fatty 

 radicle. He separated substances containing oleic and stearic 

 acid; subsequently Strecker(2) added palmitic acid. Thudichum(3) 

 showed that lecithin always contains oleic acid and another acid. 

 Acids more unsaturated than oleic acid have been found by 

 Henriques and Hansen(4), and Cousin(5) in lecithin of eggs and 

 brain-substance; and by Erlandsen(6) in heart and voluntary 

 muscle. 



Thudichum noted the existence of unknown fatty acids in 

 paramyelin, kephalinic acid in kephalin, and an oxyacid in amido- 

 and sphingomyelin. Koch(7) obtained from kephalin dihydroxy- 



* Ergebnisse der Physiologie, Bd.vii. 1907. 

 t Handbuch der Biochemie (Oppenheimer), 1907. 



