314 Mr. E. Schunck. 



a considerable portion of the chlorophyll of the extract along with 

 other matters. The deposit is filtered off and then treated with a 

 boiling solution of caustic soda in strong alcohol. The boiling should 

 be continued for some time before the liquid is filtered. Through the 

 dark green filtrate a current of carbon dioxide is then passed for some 

 time. The gas produces a green deposit which settles rapidly, the liquid 

 only retaining a pale yellowish-green colour. After standing some 

 time the deposit is filtered off ; it consists in great part of crystalline 

 particles of sodium bicarbonate, together with the product of the action 

 of alkali on chlorophyll combined with soda. The mass on the filter is 

 now washed with cold alcohol as long as the latter takes up colour, and 

 is then treated with water, in which the greater part dissolves, a little 

 nicely crystallised chrysophyll being generally left undissolved. The 

 "filtrate is now mixed with several times its volume of a saturated solu- 

 tion of common salt. This gives a green; flocculent precipitate which 

 settles slowly, leaving a supernatant pale green liquid. The precipi- 

 tate is filtered off and washed with saturated salt solution until the 

 percolating liquid is no longer alkaline. It is then treated with boiling 

 alcohol, which dissolves the greater part, leaving undissolved a small 

 quantity of green powder consisting of calcium and magnesium com- 

 pounds formed by double decomposition from the calcium and mag- 

 nesium chlorides with which common salt is usually contaminated. 

 The filtered alcoholic solution leaves on evaporation a dark green 

 residue along with a quantity of salt. The latter may be in part 

 removed by treatment with a small quantity of cold water, and the 

 rest remains behind when cold absolute alcohol, in which the green 

 compound is soluble, is added. ^ The solution in absolute alcohol is of 

 a pure dark green, and leaves on evaporation an amorphous resin-like 

 residue, which is purple and lustrous by reflected and bright green 

 by transmitted light ; it may be easily pulverised, yielding a dark 

 green powder. 



The product thus obtained is a sodium compound, and is soluble in 

 water. The aqueous solution gives green precipitates with barium 

 chloride, lead acetate, cupric acetate, and silver nitrate ; the silver 

 precipitate blackens at once on boiling the liquid. In order to obtain 

 the substance with which the sodium is combined, the product is dis- 

 solved in water and just sufficient acetic acid is added to set the 

 green substance combined with the sodium at liberty. The whole is 

 then shaken up with ether, which dissolves the green flocculent pre- 

 cipitate, giving a dark green solution. The latter is washed several 

 times with water in order to remove the free acid and sodium 

 acetate, and is then evaporated spontaneously, when it leaves a residue 

 which cannot be distinguished by its appearance from the sodium 

 compound from which it is derived. 



The substance thus obtained possesses properties by which it may 



