128 
porphyrine. We have found such a method and wish to report 
upon it in this preliminary note. A strong crude chlorophyll extract 
is precipitated with a saturated aqueous baryumhydrate solution 
and the precipitate formed filtered off and washed with alcohol. 
After drying the precipitate is powdered, suspended in alcohol and 
concentrated sulphuric acid slowly added. The baryum salt of the 
colouring matter is decomposed by these means, baryumsulphate 
formed which carries down some of the free colouring matter, whe¬ 
reas the chief amount of the colouring matter remains in solution. 
Care must be taken that the filtrate obtained reacts but very feebly 
acid. The filtrate is next evaporated to dryness, dissolved in a 10°/ 0 
alcoholic solution of potassium hydrate and heated for several 
hours in an autoclave at a temperature of 20Q°. The brown solution 
obtained is mixed with some alcohol, heated to the boil, filtered, 
the filtrate acidulated with acetic acid, diluted with 4 volumes of 
water and shaken up with ether. The later dissolves all the colou¬ 
ring matters present, whereas the aqueous layer remains nearly co¬ 
lourless. The ethereal solution is next shaken up with a 5°/ 0 solu¬ 
tion of hydrochloric acid which extracts from it the greater part 
of the colouring matters. The hydrochloric acid solution is next 
treated with an excess of sodium acetate whereby the colouring 
matters are precipitated in the form of a brownish red powder. 
The whole is shaken up with ether and the ethereal solution, after 
being filtered, treated again with hydrochloric acid, but this time 
with a much weaker solution; namely one containing l°/ 0 HC1 
Phvlloporphyrine goes into this solution easily and may be precipi¬ 
tated from it by sodium acetate and extracted with ether. The 
ethereal solution obtained is next evaporated and the residue crys¬ 
tallized twice from alcohol. In this manner a substance is obtained 
which does not differ optically from phvlloporphyrine obtained from 
phyllotaonine. Whether it is quite free from any impurities and 
identical with phylloporphyrine obtained from phyllotaonine remains 
to be seen. An analysis gave 7441% C, 7*39°/ 0 H and 10*45°/ 0 N. 
The crystals were very kindly examined by prof. Morozewicz 
to whom we owe the following description of them. Elongated 
plates (about 4 times as long as broad), at the end pointed symme¬ 
trically. They do not show pleochroism. The axis of smaller optical 
elasticity is parallel to the length of the crystals. Double refraction 
developed to a small degree. The interference colour is violet. Sup- 
