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Messrs. Doree and Gardner. Origin and [Dec. 18, 



collected from January 2nd to the 15th inclusive and weighed, after drying, 

 462 grammes. During this period the animal was given 1*12 kilogrammes of 

 extracted bran, most of which it ate with apparent satisfaction. On 

 January 15th its weight was 2 - 4 kilogrammes and during the period of the 

 experiment varied from 2 - 4 to 2 - 5 kilogrammes. 



The faeces were extracted with ether and the ethereal solution saponified in 

 the manner described ; 1 - 215 grammes of dry unsaponifiable matter was 

 obtained as a viscid stiff oil. This dissolved in a small quantity (20 c.c.) of 

 absolute alcohol, with the exception of - 05 gramme of insoluble tar. On 

 adding enough water to make the alcohol about 85 to 90 per cent, strength 

 and allowing to stand, some crystalline matter separated and, after filtration 

 and drying, was obtained in the form of dark brown greasy crystals weighing 

 - 4 gramme. 



This brown crystalline matter was decolorised by animal charcoal and 

 carefully recrystallised fractionally from alcohol. The first and main crop 

 melted at 135° to 136°, and under the microscope had the form of trans- 

 parent long hexagonal plates. It was identical with the " phytosterol " 

 which we had isolated from the bran. The mother liquors yielded a small 

 crop of crystals which under the microscope were more indeterminate, being 

 grouped in masses and stars. On recrystallisation, however, long hexagonal 

 crystals were again obtained melting at 133° to 135°. No trace of cholesterol 

 could be discovered. 



Experiment III. — Immediately on the close of the above experiment the 

 same rabbit was fed from January 16 to January 25 inclusive, on 

 80 grammes of extracted bran with 0"25 gramme of cholesterol per day, 

 except on two days on which no cholesterol was given. It received therefore 

 in this period 2 grammes of cholesterol. It was then fed for three days on 

 extracted bran alone, and the faeces were collected during the whole period. 

 After drying, the faeces weighed 497 grammes. The weight of the animal 

 remained constant all through the experiment. 



The ethereal extract was reddish in colour, with a green fluorescence, 

 which was just as marked after saponification ; 2 - 56 grammes of dry 

 unsaponifiable matter were obtained. This dissolved in absolute alcohol 

 leaving - 06 gramme of insoluble tar. Water was then added to reduce the 

 alcohol to 90 per cent., and on standing, brown crystalline matter was 

 deposited weighing 1-14 grammes. On further standing another crop weighing 

 0"28 gramme was obtained. The mother liquors were then evaporated to 

 dryness, dissolved in pyridine and treated with benzoyl chloride ; 

 01035 gramme of crude benzoate of cholesterol was obtained. The total 

 weight of crude cholesterol was thus 1*5 grammes. The two crops of 



