'4 



U. SUZUKI. 



present in the shoots. But any how I have no doubt that the 

 chief product is arginin. 



2. GlN'GKO BILOBA. 



The isolation of arginin according' to the usual method was 

 in this case encountered with much difficulties by the strong 

 reduction of silver and the separation of pure crystals was 

 almost impossible. So I tried to convert it to the neutral silver 

 salts according to Wl. Gulewitsch's method. 05 The latter com- 

 pound was rather stable and it proved to be successful. For 

 this purpose, the basic solution containing free bases, was at 

 first neutralized exactly with dilute nitric acid, and then some 

 concentrated silver nitrate solution was added. The evaporated 

 and concentrated syrupy liquid became soon after cooling a 

 white crystalline mass which after recrystalization became 

 uniform long needles, most of them being united to bundles. It 

 was easily soluble in water, but little soluble in absolute alcohol. 

 The microscopical examination proved it to be exactly identical 

 with Gulewitsch's description. After drying over sulphuric 

 acid, the crystals were subjected to the following determinations. 



1. O.0808 g. crystals yielded on ignition 



0.0220 g = 2/.2% Ag. 



2. O.O90 g. crystals of another preparation 



yielded on ignition 0.0245 g = 2j.^% Ag. 



3. On drying at ioo°C, no loss in weight no water of 



crystallization. 



Calculated as C 6 H u N 4 0 2 , HN0 3 + AgNO. =26.5% Ag. 



4. Melting point was found in one case to be iSi-i83°C. 

 and in the other i82-i84°C. Above I30-I40°C, the crystals be- 

 came gradually brownish black, but did not melt until l8i°C 

 exactly. This result exactly coincides with Gulewitsch's 

 observation. 



5. A part of the neutral salt was dissolved in water and 

 so much baryta water was added as to remove exactly half 

 of the nitric acid to convert it into the basic salts. Evaporated 

 to a small volume and let stand over sulphuric acid, whereby 



(1) Wl. Gulewitscli. " Ueber das Arginin" : — Zeit=. f. Physiol. Chem. Bd.XXVlf. 

 Heft. 3. 1S99, s. 178. 



