42 HANDBOOK FOR BIO-CHEMICAL LABOftATO&Y. 



C.OH 3 



/ ^x 



Skatol, 9 H 9 N = C 6 H 4 CH 



X 



or METHYL IKDOL. 



Preparation. Two kilogrammes of well-pressed blood fibrin 

 are placed in a large flask (12 litres capacity) treated with 8 

 litres water (containing 2 grms. KH 2 P0 4 and 1 grm. MgS0 4 ), 

 and well mixed with 200 c.c. of a cold saturated solution of 

 soda, then a few cubic centimetres of a putrefying infusion of 

 meat with some fragments of the decomposed meat. The flask 

 is closed with a stopper provided with a glass tube attached 

 with a rubber tube to a wash-bottle half full of water. 

 The rubber tube has a clamp which is left open during the 

 first days of the experiment. The mass is digested at 40 to 

 42 C. for 10 days, the flask being shaken from time to time 

 and the clamp closed as soon as the evolution of gas has 

 ceased and only opened now and then so as to liberate the 

 accumulated gases. 



After this time the entire liquid contents of the flask is 

 distilled off until the residue in the flask measures 1 to 1.5 

 litres. The strongly ammoniacal distillate is acidified with 

 HOI and then precipitated by a solution of copper sulphate 

 and filtered. The clear filtrate is thoroughly shaken with 

 ether, which is best done by shaking fractions of -J litre at a 

 time in a separatory funnel drawing off the heavy liquid and 

 adding new portions of the filtrate to the ether in the funnel, 

 adding more ether from time to time. When one half of the 

 filtrate has been extracted with ether distill the ether from the 

 ethereal solution and use the ether for further extraction. The 

 entire ethereal extracts are distilled until about 500 c.c. are left. 

 This resi due is thoroughly shaken 2 times with a solution of 

 caustic soda to separate phenols and acids, and the ether now 

 distilled off at the lowest possible temperature. The oily 



