Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
February.  1920.| 
Chlorophyl  Complexities. 
Ill 
chlorophyl,  which  is  found  disseminated  more  or  less  throughout 
the  entire  vegetable  kingdom.  Chlorophyl  is  soluble  in  both  ether 
and  alcohol,  but  not  in  water.  It  is  a  compound  body,  according 
to  Mr.  Fremy;  it  consists  of  a  mixture  of  blue  and  of  yellow  organic 
coloring  materials.  If  the  blue  preponderates  the  color  of  the  leaf 
is  dark  green,  if  the  yellow  is  in  large  amount  it  is  light  green.  The 
blue  coloring  matter  is  not  so  permanent  as  the  yellow,  it  decays 
quicker,  frost  destroys  it  sooner,  consequently  after  our  plants 
reach  maturity  we  observe  them  gradually  fade,  pass  to  yellow  and 
finally  turn  brown.  These  successive  changes  of  color  depend  upon 
the  destruction  of  the  chlorophyl.  Those  acquainted  with  the  art 
of  mixing  paints  will  understand  how  nature  can  produce  so  great 
a  variety  of  shades  with  the  two  primary  colors,  blue  and  yellow. 
Man  unconsciously  copies  after  nature  in  this  respect.  Our  chrome 
greens  are  made  by  mixing  prussian  blue  and  chrome  yellow. 
Chlorophyl  is  tasteless,  it  seems  to  be  inert;  at  any  rate,  it  can 
be  swallowed  in  large  amount  without  ill  effect.  It  is  found  through- 
out almost  all  the  vegetable  organic  kingdom.  The  poisonous 
powerful  narcotic  plant  and  the  edible  cereal  are  alike  bountifully 
supplied  with  this  pigment,  which  with  truth  may  be  called  nature's 
own  dye,  for  it  has  never  been  produced  artificially. 
Chlorophyl  will  not  form  away  from  the  light;  plants  which 
grow  in  darkness  are  white.  Examples  of  this  fact  can  be  fre- 
quently seen  in  potato  sprouts  in  the  cellar,  or  celery  which  is  cov- 
ered with  soil.  Although  chlorophyl  itself  is  tasteless  and  inert, 
its  presence  under  certain  circumstances  possesses  a  deep  signifi- 
cance. When  celery  is  green,  although  it  may  be  young,  we  know 
it  is  likely  to  prove  tough  and  stringy.  Experience  has  taught  us 
that  in  this  instance  the  production  of  chlorophyl  is  accompanied 
with  the  growth  of  woody  fiber ;  that  conditions  favoring  the  pro- 
duction of  one,  contribute  alike  to  the  formation  of  the  other. 
Chlorophyl,  which  is  visible,  advises  us  in  this  instance  of  the  al- 
most certain  existence  of  woody  fiber,  but  chlorophyl  is  in  no  man- 
ner connected  with  this  fiber,  and  it  abounds  also  in  vegetable 
pulps  devoid  of  fibrous  tissue. 
Potatoes  partly  grown  upon  the  surface  of  the  ground,  turn 
green  upon  the  side  exposed  to  the  sun's  rays;  the  green  coloring 
matter  is  chlorophyl.  Such  potatoes  are  unfit  for  food;  they  are 
acrid  and  burn  the  tongue  and  throat;  yet  it  is  not  the  chlorophyl 
which  imparts  the  objectionable  properties.    The  light  which  pro- 
