CHEMICAL PHYSIOLOGY. 41 



Vauquelin tends to show that brain matter is con- 

 stituted similarly to the hematocrystalline of the blood ; 

 that it contains an albuminous matter to which is 

 combined a substance containing nitrogen and phos- 

 phorus ; that its molecule must therefore be very com- 

 plicated and large, and that the matters hitherto ex- 

 tracted from the brain are at the most detached 

 proximate nuclei, or single stones broken out of the 

 mosaic picture which its molecule may be imagined to 

 represent. The principal one of these detached nuclei 

 is a body of which a small quantity can be extracted 

 from brain matter by boiling alcohol, and which has 

 been variously termed brain-wax, brain-fat; but by Brain-fat, 



** ** nuvoliiMtui 



Fremy, who first obtained it pure and determined its cerebric acid - 



cerebrine, 



cerebric 



protagon 



composition, was found to be an acid, and termed 

 cerebric acid. Lately Liebreich, having examined the 

 same substance, gave it the name of protagon, but 

 without any valid reason. This cerebric acid appears 

 in crystalline needles, and gives remarkable reactions. 

 By decomposition it yields fatty acids, glycero-phos- ratty add, 

 phoric acid (C 3 H 9 P0 6 ) containing the whole of its 

 phosphorus, neurine (C 5 H 13 ISF), choline (C 5 H 15 N"0 2 ), 

 and cerebrine (C 17 H 33 N0 3 ). This reaction makes it 

 probable that it is proximately composed of cerebrine 

 and lecythine (C 43 H 84 NP0 9 ), which latter yields the 

 products last mentioned by the following reaction; 



Lecythine. 



C 3 H 9 P0 



Glycero- Choline. Oleic acid. Margaric acid. 



phosphoric acid. 



