CHOLINE. 239 



stated, is precipitated by an alcoholic lead acetate solution. Cephalin 

 is obtained from the brain, after dehydration with acetone, by extracting 

 with ether and precipitating the concentrated ethereal extract with alcohol. 

 The cephalin is perhaps identical with the myeline substance isolated by 

 ZuELZER 1 from the brain. The different statements as to the cleavage 

 products of cephalin speak against its purity and chemical individuality. 



Of the cleavage products of the lecithins choline is of especially 

 great interest. 



Choline (trimethyloxy ethyl ammonium hydroxide), 



/ CH 2 .CH 2 .(OH) 

 C 5 H 15 N0 2 , = HO.N< 



\CH 3 ) 3 , 



stands in close relationship to the poisonous base neurine (trimethylvinyl 



/ (CH 3 ) 8 , 



ammonuim hydroxide), HO.N/ , which according to BRIEGER 



N?H:CH 2 

 can be formed from choline by the action of bacteria, and also to mus- 



/(CH 3 ) 3 

 carine, HO.N< , which is the aldehyde of choline and occurs in the 



XJHaCHO 



>0v 



fly agaric, and also to betaine, H 3 C.N<^ /CO, which may be considered 



XJHa^ 



as the anhydride of the acid corresponding to choline. Muscarine 

 and betaine can be obtained from choline on oxidation. Choline yields 

 trimethylamine as decomposition product, and this seems to be formed 

 in the transformation of choline in the animal body. 



Choline occurs in the plant kingdom as well as in the animal kingdom. 

 MOTT and HALLIBURTON have repeatedly found choline in the blood in 

 degenerative diseases of the nervous system. It was first shown also in 

 normal blood by MARINO Zuco, 2 and this investigator first found it in the 

 suprarenal capsule, but designated it neurine. LOHMANN found it later 

 in this organ, and recently it has been found in various organs by other 

 investigators, especially by C. SCHWARZ and v. FURTH. The fact that 

 choline is a cleavage product of lecithin in the animal, and that it is 

 antagonistic to adrenaline (of the suprarenal capsule) by its depressing 

 action upon the blood pressure, and that it has an exciting action upon 

 certain secretions (LOHMANN, THEISSIER and THEVENOT, v. FURTH and 

 SCHWARZ 3 ), gives choline great physiological importance. It must 



1 Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 27. 



2 Mott and Halliburton, Philos. Trans., Ser. B, 191 (1899) and 194 (1901); Marino 

 Zuco, see Maly's Jahresber., 24, pp. 181 and 698. 



3 Lohmann, Pfluger's Arch., 118 and 122; v. Fiirth and Schwarz, ibid., 124, which 

 also contains the literature. 



