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



melted at 141° to 142°, but a microscopic examination showed that it 

 contained some phytosterol, as the shape of the crystals deviated from those 

 of cholesterol in the well-known manner occasioned by traces of phytosterol. 

 A final crop melted at 138° to 139°, and contained a larger amount of 

 phytosterol. In this experiment it is evident that at least 1 gramme of 

 cholesterol was absorbed. 



Experiment V. — A rabbit, weighing 1*7 kilogrammes, was treated exactly 

 as in Experiment IV. At the end it weighed T6 kilogrammes, and appeared 

 to be in good health ; 277 grammes of dry faeces were obtained, which were 

 extracted for 14 days in a Soxhlet's apparatus with ether. The ethereal 

 solution was deep red, with a strong green fluorescence. The dry unsaponi- 

 fiable matter weighed 2'275 grammes, and was dissolved in 70 c.c. of hot 

 alcohol, leaving O05 gramme of insoluble tar. After adding 6 c.c. of water to 

 the hot alcohol solution, 1*39 grammes of red crystalline matter were 

 deposited, from which 1'125 grammes of fairly pure cholesterol were obtained. 

 The mother liquors, on standing, deposited a small quantity of crystalline 

 matter mixed with oil, from which, after boiling in alcoholic solution with 

 animal charcoal, OH gramme of white crystals was isolated. All the mother 

 liquors were evaporated and benzoylated, but only a small trace of difficultly 

 soluble matter resulted. The weight of cholesterol recovered was therefore 

 1'23 to 14 grammes, which, however, would contain any phytosterol present. 



Experiment VI. — A rabbit, weighing 1'7 kilogrammes, was fed on extracted 

 bran and cholesterol as in the previous experiments. The weight remained 

 practically constant, but after the experiment, on being put on ordinary diet, 

 it began to lose weight, and died on the eighth clay. The weight of the 

 dead animal was 14 kilogrammes, but a post-mortem examination revealed 

 nothing abnormal. 



The weight of dry faeces collected was 283 grammes, and they were 

 extracted for 14 days. The ethereal extract was pale yellow in colour, but 

 without any fluorescence. The unsaponifiable matter weighed 3*13 grammes, 

 but was not free from calcium chloride. It was boiled with absolute alcohol, 

 when 0445 gramme of insoluble matter was left. The alcoholic solution 

 after dilution with water until the strengtli was 85 to 90 per cent., gave 

 l - 47 grammes of not very coloured crystalline matter. The mother liquors 

 yielded between 04 and - 2 gramme of impure crystalline matter. After 

 recrystallisation of the whole from the least amount of 90 per cent, alcohol, 

 the melting point was 135°. 



The results of these experiments are summarised in Table I. 



It is clear from these experiments that (1) cholesterol is not excreted 

 by rabbits unless they are fed on it, which is in agreement with our previously 



