CM KM 1ST K V (!' TIIK I' T ( ) M A I N K S . 1 J I 1 



led to tlii- conclusion in Ins celebrated study of beet-root 

 sugar, becau-e of (lie presence of oleic acid, glycerin, phos- 

 phoric acid, and betaine, as well as choles(crin, in the !.<( 

 root extracts. This hypothesis \vas confinne(l by Hol'l'K- 

 SKYI.KIJ, who, in 1,S7!, found a lecithin substance in yea>(. 

 Snii 1,7,1 : found a similar compound in the cotyledon- of 

 lupine, while .1 ACOIISON observed its presence in mustard- 

 seeds, in fenugreek-seeds, in maize and wheat, in the fat 

 from beans, peas, vetch, and lupines. HKUKKL showed its 

 presence in globularia, and LIITMAXN has found it in beet- 

 root. According to Hoi'i'K-SEYLKR, this lecithin-like sub- 

 stance exists in all vegetable cells undergoing development. 

 SCIICLXK and LIKIKRMK (1891) were the first to prepare 

 lecithin in a pure condition from plants. It was found to 

 possess the same properties and yield the same decomposi- 

 tion-products as lecithin from animal tissues. Up to the 

 present time lecithin has always been supposed to contain a 

 radical, which gives rise to choline on saponification, as an 

 essential component, while on the other hand the fatty 

 acids entering its molecule are well known to be replaceable 

 by one another. Thus we may have a di-stearine lecithin 

 as well as a di-oleine lecithin. The existence of several 

 lecithins in the yelk of eggs has been recognized for some 

 time, and according to ScHULZK and LiKlKUXlK this is 

 also true of the lecithins in plants. Recent observations 

 of LiPi'MAXX (Ber. 20, 3200} show that the above basic 

 radical, hitherto regarded as constant in lecithin, may pos- 

 sibly be capable of replacement by other similar radicals, 

 lie found on saponifying with baryta two different speci- 

 mens of lecithin, both obtained from beet-root, that while 

 one of them yielded oleic acid, glycerin, phosphoric acid, 

 and betaine; the other lecithin gave oleic acid (and some 

 other fatty acids), glycerin, phosphoric acid, and choline, 

 with no betaine at least not in isolable quantity. This 

 remarkable difference has led LIPPMANN to suggest an ex- 

 planation which, while it may not be the correct one, never- 

 thcle . | (-<( 's-i s a high degree of probability. According 

 to him, the lecithin molecule may contain interchange- 

 able basic radicals in the same manner that it contains 



