CEREBRINE. 101 



evaporation a residue remains, soluble in hot alcohol, 

 and precipitated on cooling as unaltered cerebrine. 



7. Hydrochloric, nitric, and phosphoric acids in the 

 cold effect no change. On boiling with hydrochloric 

 the body turns reddish-violet, then brown, decomposing 

 and depositing a brown resin insoluble in acids and 

 alkalies. 



8. In cold oil of vitriol it dissolves with a dark 

 purple colour ; the solution mixed with water becomes 

 colourless, and deposits a viscid yellowish substance. 

 This reaction resembles that of bile acids. 



9. Heated in a retort with nitric acid it evolves red 

 fumes, and gives a clear distillate. From the liquid 

 in the retort drops of yellow oil separate, which 

 solidify on cooling, and, after being freed from nitric 

 acid by washing with water, dissolve in boiling alcohol, 

 and are deposited on standing in white fatty granules. 

 These, after repeated crystallisation, appear as a white 

 waxy mass, tolerably soluble in hot or cold alcohol, 

 or ether, reacting in alcoholic solution as a feeble acid, 

 and consisting, under the microscope, of clear fatty 

 globules without a trace of crystallisation. This 

 compound contains 12.92 % H, and 75.52 % ; hence, 

 probably, all the nitrogen has been removed. Heated 

 on platinum foil it melts readily, and burns with a 

 bright flame and a smell of burning fat. 



10. Cerebrine is free from sulphur. When oxydised 

 by fuming nitric acid, or by fusing with potassium 

 nitrate and potash, it gives no phosphoric reactions 

 with any of the tests. When phosphorus is found, it 

 arises probably from contamination with lecithine. 



