XI. A. 2 Williams: Chemistry of the Vitamines 55 



a dose equivalent to 15 or 20 kilograms of the original polishings 

 being necessary to cure a fowl. It gives the uric acid reaction." 

 It is fairly freely soluble in water, but is very slightly soluble 

 in alcohol. From it considerable nicotinic acid can be crys- 

 tallized from hot water. 



The alcoholic filtrate and washings, which are now curative 

 for fowls in doses equivalent to 3 kilograms of the original 

 polishings as compared with 100 grams in the case of the 

 original extract/* are collected and evaporated in a dessicator 

 over sulphuric acid at ordinary pressure. A vacuum dessicator 

 produces top rapid an evaporation for the best results. This 

 solution is now distinctly acid to litmus, but not to methyl orange. 

 As evaporation proceeds, the acidity diminishes. Occasionally 

 a faint alkalinity is developed, resulting in considerable loss of 

 curative power on further standing. In the course of a week's 

 standing in the dessicator, a few needle crystals, 2 to 3 milli- 

 meters in length, appear. These show a marked tendency to 

 float on the surface of the mother liquor. At the same time a 

 deposit collects in the bottom of the vessel, consisting of mixed 

 forms of crystals and much amorphous matter. The floating 

 crystals when removed and dried melt at 233° and produce cures 

 in fowls in doses of from 10 to 20 milligrams. The yield, how- 

 ever, amounts to only from 30 to 40 milligrams. If the crystals 

 are allowed to remain in the mother liquor, there is no further 

 accumulation. The amorphous material, however, gradually in- 

 creases in amount. If separated when the volume has dimin- 

 ished to 10 or 12 cubic centimeters, it shows curative power 

 in fowls in doses of from 20 to 30 milligrams. The yield from 

 25 kilograms of polishings amounts to 0.2 to 0.25 gram. It is 

 difficultly soluble in water and alcohol and when recrystallized 

 from dilute alcohol is very little altered in appearance or charac- 

 ter. This is the product which was used in treating the human 

 cases recently reported.^^ 



On further evaporation of the mother liquor from this prod- 

 uct either with or without the addition of alcohol, a syrup 

 results which eventually dries to a hard clear film, weighing 

 from 0.2 to 0.3 gram. It possesses curative properties in mod- 



" "Folin and Macallum, jr., Journ. Biol. Chem. (1912), 11, 265; (1912-13), 

 13, 363. 



" Funk's statement that the vitamine fraction retains nearly the whole 

 of the curative substance does not appear to be borne out by his own 

 experimental results. 



"This Journal, See. B (1915), 10, 99. 



