CHEMISTRY OF THE PTOMAINES. 249 



like body from sugar-beet, which, on heating with baryta 

 gave oleic acid, glycerin, and pljosphoric acid (glycerin- 

 phosphoric acid), and betaine. Betaine, however, does not 

 seem to be a constant constituent, inasmuch as on one occa- 

 sion he obtained chiefly choline, and little or no betaine. 

 These two bases also occur together in cotton-seed, and 

 this fact has led Scheibleii to the conclusion that it is 

 no mere chance. Lecithin, as is well known, may con- 

 tain variable acid constituents (oleic, stearic, palmitic, etc.), 

 and reasoning on this fact, and on the results of his experi- 

 ments, LiprMANN has been led to suppose that it may also 

 contain different bases in variable proportions. 



It has been obtained from human urine (Liebreicii, 

 1869), and from poisonous and non-poisonous mussel, but 

 not from putrid mussel (Beieqer, 1885, III., 76). The 

 method for its separation from mussel is described on page 

 255. 



Betaine may be obtained synthetically in several ways : 



(1) by oxidation of choline with potassium permanganate ; 



(2) by the action of methyl iodide on glycocoll ; (3) by 

 treating raonochloracetic acid with trimethylamine. The 

 last two methods are of value as indicating the constitution 

 of betaine, and the changes which take place can be repre- 

 sented by the equations : 



NH, N(CH3)3l 



CH, + 3CIT3I = CH2 + 2III. 



CO2H COJI 



Glycocoll. Betaink Iodihe. 



CII^CI 



CO,H 



N(CH3)3C1 

 + N(CH3)3 = CH, 

 COJI. 



MONCCHLORACKTIC ACID. 



From the formulae of the salts of betaine it is evident 



