78 IntraceUiilar Lipins [Sept. 



scribed a stibstance containing nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphoriis, 

 which he prepared from liver and called jecorin. It has since been 

 studied by Baldi, Baskoff, Manasse, and others. Baskoff obtained 

 very constant figiires for its sugar content in a number of different 

 preparations and also found that its nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio 

 was constant. Bing, Mayer, and others, contend that jecorin is a 

 mixture of lecithin and glucose. Mayer and Terroine think it is 

 formed by the simultaneous precipitation of glucose and lecithal- 

 bumin, 



The true glycolipins, such as cerebro-galactosides, are definite 

 chemical substances of a fatty nature containing galactose-yielding 

 radicals. Certain "complex" lipins from vegetable material have 

 been shown to yield as much as i6 per cent. of galactose. 



Berthelot has described the synthesis of carbohydrate esters of 

 fatty acids and Bloor prepared a Compound of mannite with fatty 

 acids. 



Compounds of lipins with alkaloids. Bing has described the 

 preparation of Compounds of various alkaloids and glycosides 

 with lecithin, Koch has lately shown that various alkaloids unite 

 with lecithin. He has drawn special attention to the afifinity of 

 strychnin for lecithin. There is also reason to believe that the con- 

 stituents of digitalis form chemical products with complex lipins of 

 heart muscle. 



Compounds of lipins with toxins. It is well known that the 

 glycolipin known as phrenosin ("cerebron"), which is obtain- 

 able from brain, has the power of neutralizing a large amount of 

 tetanus toxin, but whether this is a chemical or physical effect of 

 the Phrenosin is still debated. Cobra venom has active hemolytic 

 powers; but corpuscles of certain animals washed free from serum 

 are not hemolyzed by it unless something that can be obtained 

 from the serum which is soluble in ether or in alcohol, be 

 added. Since the addition of lecithin enables the venom to act on 

 washed corpuscles, Kyes regards the hemolytic agent as a combina- 

 tion of the toxin with the lecithin present in the serum. He thinks 

 a definite chemical Compound, which he calls cobralecithide, is 

 formed — a Compound in which a fatty acid radical of lecithin is 

 replaced by the venom hemolysin. Bang, however, thinks this view 



