The preparation of the unconjugated acids of ox‐bile

IT has been known for a long time that ox-bile, on hydrolysis with alkalis, yields, in addition to the chief product, cholalic acid, at least two other acids, viz. choleic and deoxycholeic acids. Nevertheless, up till quite recently, no satisfactory method of separation of these acids ,has existhd, and it has been impossible to form any conception as to the relate quantities which are produced when ox-bile is hydrolysed with caustic alkalis. As large quantities of bile-acids were required for the-puroses of various investigations, a research was commenced some time ago, with the object of obtaining a method for preparing the unconjugated acids in a satisfactory manner. When the main principles of the separation described in this paper had been already evolved, a publication by Pregl and Buchtalal appeared, in which a method was described by means of which the three unconjugated bile-acids could be obtained in a satisfactory yield. It is of interest to note, however, that the method of Pregl and Buchtala, and the method described in this paper differ from one another in almost every detail.