Cll K M 1ST K Y <>F Til K 1'ToM A I N I 



I )I:-OM POSITIONS <>K CIIOUNI:. I>AI:YI:I; (isiKJ) snc- 

 led in converting choline into nenrine by a purely 

 chemical pr<> '. Tliis was accomplished by heating 

 choline chloride with concent rated hydriodic acid and 

 red pbosphonw in a scaled tube at 120-loO, whereby 

 the compound C.JI^NI, was formed. The iod-iodide of 

 choline thus obtained, OH treatment with moist silver oxide, 

 gave a base whose platinoehloride corresponded to the 

 formula (C ; ,H 1 ,XCl) 2 l ) tCl 4 f II,(). This double salt, ac- 

 cording to DAETEB, is readily soluble in water, and gives 

 reactions similar to choline. Although BAKYKU is em- 

 phatic in his assertion that this is the vinyl compound 

 (nenrinc) formed from the oxy-ethyl base (choline), yet it 

 -reins that there is room for doubt in regard to the 

 interpretation of his results. Thus nenrine platinochloride 

 is dillicnltly soluble in water, contrary to the l>ehavior of 

 the platinochloride obtained by him. On the other hand, 

 choline platinochloride is easily soluble in water, and it 

 \\niild seem, therefore, that BAKYKH has not converted 

 choline into nenrine, but rather has regenerated choline 

 from its iod-iodide. If such were the case, we would ex- 

 pect that the iod-iodide of nenrine, C 5 II, 3 Nr 2 , which has 

 the same composition as the corresponding derivative of 

 choline, would yield, on treatment with silver oxide, the 

 o\v-ethyl base. BAKVKI: has apparently not been able to 

 effect this change, since he holds that the vinyl base may 

 IHJ prepared from the oxy-ethyl, but that the reverse, the 

 preparation of the oxy-ethyl base from the vinyl compound, 

 cannot be accomplished. 



Whether the change descril>ed by BAKYKI: takes place or 

 not, it is, nevertheless, certain that choline docs m>t readily 

 give up a molecule of water and thus become converted 

 into nenrine. Cn.diiAM announced, in 1886, that choline 

 chloride and lactate on heating on the water-bath de- 

 compose, and that this conversion into the vinyl base was 

 complete when the aqneons hydrochloric acid solution of 

 choline platinoehloride \vas heated ibr five or six hours on 

 the water-bath. In this way <H:AM endeavored to explain 

 the formation as due to the action of acids upon choline, 





