240 R. W. CHALLINOR. 



Another portion on distillation with caustic alkali, gave 

 a distillate which, when neutralised with hydrochloric acid 

 and evaporated to dryness, gave a deliquescent residue 

 which was completely soluble in absolute alcohol, had the 

 odour of herring brine, and gave the reactions of trimethyl- 

 amine as before. As the dry residue was dissolved com- 

 pletely by absolute alcohol the absence of ammonium salts 

 was shown. The residue remaining in the flask after this 

 distillation was acidified with sulphuric acid and again 

 distilled, an acid distillate was obtained, which gave all 

 the reactions of acetic acid. That acetic acid is present 

 in the plant, was proved directly, by distilling the fresh 

 branchlets with two per cent, phosphoric acid and convert- 

 ing the acid distillate into the barium salt. 0*2068 gram 

 of the barium salt gave 0*1891 gram of barium sulphate, 

 which indicates a molecular weight of 59*7 for the acid, 

 almost that of acetic acid. This barium salt moreover 

 gave all the characteristic reactions of acetic acid. 



The greater part of the trimethylamine obtained in the 

 foregoing experiments appears to have been due to the 

 action of caustic alkalis. Basic substances which would 

 yield this compound when thus treated were then sought 

 for directly by a method similar to that of Schulze. 1 Schulze 

 and Trier 2 consider that choline is not liberated from 

 lecithin during the necessary manipulation of the extracts 

 in separating it from the plant. 



About 2J kilograms of the fresh terminal branchlets, cut 

 in July, when the odour of trimethylamine is not usually 

 discernible in the plant cultivated about Sydney, was 

 passed through a mincing machine and converted into pulp, 

 this was extracted with water several times and separated 

 from solid material by squeezing through cloth. Aqueous 

 lead acetate solution was added, allowed to settle, and the 



1 Zeits. Physiol. Chemie, 60, 155, 1909. 2 Loc. cit., 81, 53, 58, 1912. 



