420 THE LIVER. 



coll they synthetically prepared the alkali salt of glycocholic acid, at 

 the same time splitting off nitrogen. 



Glycocholic acid crystallizes in fine, colorless needles or prisms. It 

 is soluble with difficulty in water (in about 300 parts cold and 120 parts 

 boiling water), and is easily precipitated from its alkali-salt solution 

 by the addition of dilute mineral acids. According to BONDI l glyco- 

 cholic acid is a rather strong acid, about as acid as lactic but much 

 stronger than acetic acid. This last-mentioned acid precipitates gly- 

 cocholic acid from the solution of its alkali salts in water. It is readily 

 soluble in strong alcohol, but with great difficulty in ether. The solu- 

 tions have a bitter but at the same time sweetish taste. The acid melts 

 between 132-152, depending upon the method of preparation. Accord- 

 ing to LETSCHE, the acid containing water of crystallization (1J mol.) 

 deflagrates on heating rapidly at 126, and at 130 an active frothing is 

 observed. The acid free from water of crystallization deflagrates at 

 130-132, and decomposes at 154-155 C. with frothing. The salts of 

 the alkalies and alkaline earths are soluble in alcohol and water. 



The solution of the alkali salt in water can be salted out by NaCl, 

 but not by KC1. The salts of the heavy metals are mostly insoluble or 

 soluble with difficulty in water. The solution of the alkali salts in water 

 is precipitated by sugar of lead, cupric and ferric salts, and silver nitrate. 



On boiling with water glycocholic acid is probably transformed into its 

 physical isomer paraglycocholic acid, according to LETSCHE, 2 and this 

 crystallizes in long leaves which, when containing water of crystalliza- 

 tion, show ready deflagration at 186 and decompose with frothing at 

 198 C. On solution in alcohol or dilute alkalies the paraglycocholic 

 acid passes into the ordinary glycocholic acid. 



Glycocholeic Acid is a second glycocholic acid, first isolated by WAHL- 

 GREN 3 from ox-bile, and has the formula C^eH^sNOs or C2?H45NO5. 

 This acid, which on hydrolytic cleavage yields glycocoll and choleic 

 acid, has also been detected in human bile and the bile of the musk-ox 

 (HAMMARSTEN 4 ) . 



Glycocholeic acid may, like glycocholic acid, crystallize in tufts of 

 fine needles, but is often obtained as short thick prisms. It is much more 

 insoluble in water, even on boiling, than glycocholic acid, and it melts 

 at 175-176 C. The alkali salts are soluble in water, have a pure bit- 

 ter taste, and are more readily precipitated by neutral salts (NaCl) than 

 the glycocholates. The solution of the alkali salts is not only precipitated 



1 Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 53. 



2 Ibid., 60 and 73. 



3 Ibid., 36. 



., 43. 



