The elementary nature of the "B" vitamine remains a mystery. Extracts which contain it show the presence of nitrogen. Funk's earlier researches on yeast and rice polishings both yielded crystalline complexes which he analysed. His data on this subject follow:
Crystals melting at 233°C. consisting of:
I. A complex melting at 229°C. and forming needles and prisms nearly insoluble in water and with the apparent formula of C_24H_19O_2N_5.
II. A complex melting at 222°C. and soluble in water. Formula C_29H_23O_2N_5.
III. Nicotinic acid melting at 235°C. C_6H_5O_2N.
Crystals melting at 233°C. consisting of:
I. A complex melting at 233°C. and with a formula of C_26H_20O_9N_4.
II. Nicotinic acid melting at 235°C. C_6H_5O_2N.
Funk held at the time that the possible nature of the compound was:
It was this idea that led him to call it an "amine."
We are unable at present to report any nearer approach to the elementary analysis and all attempts at purification have shown a tendency to make the active substance either disappear entirely or else distribute itself over the several fractions instead of concentrating itself in one. Its basic nature seems to be well established by its behavior with phosphotungstic acid and its ready adsorption by carbons activated to take up basic substances.
III. THE CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF WATER-SOLUBLE "C"
The properties of this newest member of the family are still less defined. All are agreed that it is much more sensitive to heat and alkali than the other two. Temperatures above 50°C. are usually destructive though the time factor is extremely important as well as the reaction. Hess for example has found that the temperature used to pasteurize milk continued for some time, is more destructive to the vitamine than boiling water temperature continued for only a few minutes. The extent to which orange juice and tomato juice will resist high temperatures indicates the protective action of acids to be considerable.
Dr. Delf's experiments at the Lister Institute were especially directed to the behavior of this vitamine in cabbage. She first determined the minimum close of raw cabbage required to prevent scurvy in guinea pigs and found that it was less than 1.5 grams and more than 0.5 gram daily. When the cabbage was heated in water at 60°C. for an hour, symptoms of severe scurvy were just prevented by 5 grams of the cooked cabbage fed daily. By heating at 70°, 80°, 90° and 100° for the same length of time the 5 grams of cooked material could be made non-effective as a preventive. Her conclusions are that when cabbage is cooked for one hour at temperatures ranging from 80° to 100°C. the cabbage leaves lose about 90 per cent of the antiscorbutic power originally held by the raw equivalent. Sixty minutes at 60° or twenty minutes at 90° to 100° resulted in about 80 per cent destruction. Dr. Delf calls attention also to the fact that the effect of the heat is increased to only a slight degree by rise in temperature. Assuming that the effect of the rise is orderly, a temperature coefficient of 1.3 is indicated for each rise of 10°C. This low result suggests to Delf a contradiction to any theory which imputes to the vitamine enzyme or protein-like qualities and on the other hand suggests that the substance is much simpler in constitution. Her results also confirm Hoist and Fröhlich as showing its great sensitiveness at temperatures of 100° and below and obviously have a direct bearing upon cookery methods.