168 CASEIN. 



A medicinal food is prepared by the patent process of the 

 Chemische Fabrik Rhenania, in which a solution of casein 

 in very weak phosphoric acid is precipitated by a primary 

 phosphate, the precipitate being freed from the excess of 

 acid by washing with a solution of the same phosphate. 



With salicylates casein forms soluble compounds, which 

 should find an application in therapeutics by reason of the 

 readiness with which they are absorbed and their insignificant 

 irritation of the mucous membrane of the stomach. 



To prepare water-soluble compounds of casein with 

 alkaloids, the latter in alcoholic or other solution are 

 allowed to act on dry or moist acid-free casein. 



According to Knoll & Co.'s patent, compounds of casein 

 with an organic acid containing phosphorus and nitrogen 

 are obtained by digesting casein with pepsin chloride, neu- 

 tralising the filtrate with sodium carbonate, and treating it 

 with iron-ammonium alum. On heating, the iron compound 

 of caseic acid separates out. This iron salt is soluble in the 

 intestinal juices. 



Soluble compounds of casein with lithium salts form the 

 subject of a patent by C. Wendt, of Stollberg. 



To prepare compounds of casein with heavy metals, 

 such as mercury, silver, and iron, solutions of neutral alkali 

 caseates are treated with salts of mercury or silver, and pre- 

 cipitated with alcohol or concentrated in vacuo. According 

 to an additional patent of the Chemische Fabrik Pfersee, 

 Augsburg, the albumen compound may also be suspended in 

 alcohol or acetone and boiled with aqueous or alcoholic 

 solutions of the heavy-metal salts. The mercury-, silver-, 

 and iron-compounds thus obtained possess properties which 

 seem to render them useful, both technically and medi- 

 cinally. 



Among the silver compounds of casein Rohmann and 

 Hirschstein have discovered a silver caseate, which they 



