639 



obtained E. Schunck l ). This author isolated from faeces of a cow 

 a substance, which he callcd scatoeyanin. the chloroformic solution 

 of which showed a spectrum identical with that of phyllocyanin, but 

 whose solutions are crimson. With the same problem I myself 

 hâve been occupied, hoping to find in the faeces of herbivora ré- 

 duction producta of Chlorophyll. I expected to find there at least 

 urobilin which might hâve been fonned by spontaenous oxidation of 

 haemopyrroline, which. as has been shown by Nencki and myself 2 )) 

 is the final réduction product of Chlorophyll and its coloured deriva- 

 tives. However various experiments gave a negative resuit in tins 

 respect, and instead I came across another bodv which at the first 

 glance had much likeness to Sehunck's scatoeyanin and might at 

 first be taken for the latter. but a more minute examination poin- 

 ted with certainty to the conclusion that the two substances are 

 quite différent. The comparison of the substance obtained by my- 

 self, which I propose to call phylloerythrine, with Sehunck's scatoey- 

 anin could bave been carried out only on the basis of spestroscopic 

 studies, as Sehunck's substance, judging from the drawings given 

 by this author, possesses very characteristic optical properties. 



I obtained phylloerythrine in the following manner. Fresh faeces 

 of a cow, fed on fresh grass only, was extracted in the cold with 

 chloroform. The extract obtained possessed an olive green colour. 

 After filtering from the undissolved substances the chloroform was 

 distillée! off. During the latter process. or after standing for si une 

 time of the residue. there were formed violet glittering crystalls. 

 which represent the new substance, phylloerythrine. In order to 

 purify it the crystalls were first treated with eold chloroform. which 

 removes a great amount of impurities. leaving the crystalls already 

 in a comparatively pure state. In order to remove the last traces 

 of impurities. the crystalls were first boiled with alcohol in which 

 they are scarcely soluble and then recrystallised twice from boil- 

 ing chloroform. On account of the small solubility in the last 

 named solvent the recrystallisation is done suitably in a Soxhlet 

 extracting apparatus. The crystalls obtained in this way appear. 

 when examined through a microscop. well developed. The follow- 

 ing forms are found most frequentlv: 



>) Proc. of. the Royal Society Vol. 69. p. 307. 

 ! ) This Bull. 1901 p. 277. 



