'N'EW YoiJK Agkicultukal Expekiment Station. 158 



This compound reduces Fehling's solution on boiling. It gives 

 reactions with orcine and phloroglucine and yields furfurol when 

 distilled with 12 per ct. hydrochloric acid It was first described by 

 Patten and Hart,^ although they do not mention the above reac- 

 tions. As previously stated, they considered it identical with phytin, 

 although according to their analysis it had the following composition : 



C 18.52, H 3.83, P 16.38, Ca 1.13, Mg 5.80, K 2.60, N 0.37 per ct. 



It will be noticed at once that for a salt of phytic acid the above 

 compound has about 10 per ct. too much carbon and about 6 per ct. 

 too little phosphorus. 



After isolating and purifying some of the sub.stance, as will be 

 described in the experimental part, a product was finally obtained 

 which had the composition mentioned above, viz: C 21 .0 per ct., etc. 

 It was believed at first that it was an impure phytin compound, 

 probably associated with some carbohydrate group and some complex 

 nitrogen-containing body. All attempts to prepare any of the 

 characteristic salts of phytic acid from the substance have failed. 

 We have found, however, that it is possible by the action of barium 

 hydroxide to separate the substance into two constituents: one an 

 organic-phosphoric acid free from nitrogen, and a second body 

 containing nitrogen. 



The nitrogen-containing compound also contains phosphorus in 

 organic combination. It has, however, not been obtained in pure 

 form. It has not been analyzed and its nature is at present entirely 

 unknown. 



The barium salt of the nitrogen-free body corresponds to 

 the formula C25 H55 O54 Pg Bas. The isolation of the free acid, 

 C26 Hes O54 Pg, corresponding to the above barium salt, has not 

 succeeded. Attempts to isolate it led to an organic-phosphoric 

 acid, lower in carbon and higher in phosphorus, of the composition 

 C20 H55 O49 Pg. In the process of isolation apparently the elements 

 of one pentose are split off: 



C25 Hes O54 Pg Cs Hio O5 = C20 II55 04g Pg. 



If, in the preparation of the above barium salt from the crude 

 substance, the solution is allowed to stand in contact mth dilute 

 hydrochloric acid for any length of time a barium salt is obtained 

 corresponding to the second acid, C20 II45 04g Pg Bas from which 

 salt the free acid may be generated. 



The barium salt, C25 H55 O54 Pg Bas, yields furfurol on distillation 

 with 12 per ct. hydrochloric acid but the salt C20 Il45 04g Pg Ba5 

 does not do so. 



The acid, C20 H55 O49 Pg, apparently represents the nucleus of 

 the molecule of the organic-phosphorus compound, as it has been 

 found impossible to obtain any simpler organic-phosphoric acid 

 from it by treatment with acids. 



^ Loc. dt. 



