The Chemistry of Chlorophyll, 
BY 
EDWARD SCHUNCK, Ph.D., F.R.S., F.C.S. 
II. 
I T is not without some reluctance that I accede to the 
request of the Editors of this Journal to write a short 
account of what has been done regarding the chemistry of 
chlorophyll since the publication of my former paper on the 
subject \ not feeling quite sure that what is to be said on the 
subject will prove of interest to readers in general, that is to 
such as are not specialists. 
In giving an account of the various recent memoirs on 
chlorophyll, I propose to refer to them under various heads, 
without regard to the respective dates of publication, be- 
ginning with those relating to the preparation and general 
properties of chlorophyll, and proceeding to those that treat 
of the various derivatives of the substance. 
In a recent publication Armand Gautier 2 describes his 
method of obtaining what he calls crystallised chlorophyll. 
He extracts green leaves, that have previously been washed 
with water, with cold alcohol at 83 per cent. The green 
liquid is filtered and shaken up with animal charcoal. After 
standing for some days, the charcoal, which has taken 
up the greater part of the chlorophyll along with other 
matters, is filtered off and washed with strong alcohol, which 
removes a crystallisable yellow colouring-matter, and then 
treated with petroleum -ether or sulphide of carbon, in which 
1 Annals, vol. iii. p. 65-120. - Chimie Biologique. Paris, 1892. 
Annals of Botany, Vol. V. No. XXIII. October, 1893.] 
R 
