232 Schunck . — The Chemistry 
the chlorophyll dissolves. The solution on spontaneous 
evaporation leaves the chlorophyll in the form of small 
crystals of an intense blackish-green colour, which are slowly 
changed in the light, becoming brown, then yellow, and lastly 
colourless ; its consistence is a little firmer than that of fat ; 
its composition corresponds to the formula C 40 H 64 N 2 0 4 . 
Chlorophyll, according to M. Gautier, is not the same in all 
plants, that of the dicotyledons is not identical with that 
of the monocotyledons, while that of the acotyledons is 
different again. The points in which these chlorophylls differ 
inter se are not mentioned ; all that is stated is that the 
chlorophyll from the ordinary ‘fern of the woods’ is very 
easily decomposed when exposed to air and light. The 
properties of chlorophyll resemble those of bilirubin. Chloro- 
phyll contains no trace of iron, but on being burnt it leaves 
about 175 per cent, of ash, consisting almost entirely of 
magnesium phosphate. The accuracy of some of these 
statements of M. Gautier may be doubted. That the 
chlorophyll from one order of plants may possibly differ 
from that of another order, that there are in fact several 
chlorophylls, has frequently been suspected, but most of 
those who have closely studied the subject have come to 
the conclusion that chlorophyll is always the same whatever 
be its origin. M. Gautier stands almost alone in asserting 
that there are three distinct substances to which the name 
chlorophyll has been assigned. As regards the so-called crys- 
tallised chlorophyll of M. Gautier, I feel pretty sure that it is 
a product of decomposition formed from chlorophyll during 
the process employed for its preparation. Its properties, 
so far as one is able to judge from the few details given, 
resemble those of Hoppe-Seyler’s chlorophyllan. From the 
fact of its having a fatty consistence and its leaving a certain 
amount of ash, one may conclude that it is an impure 
product. 
I may here refer to the interesting experiments of Hansen T , 
who obtained by a peculiar process a substance which he 
1 Die Farbstoffe des Chlorophylls. Darmstadt, 1889. 
