BETAINE

C 5 H 11 NO 21 . An alkaloid occurring in the juice of the mangold-wurzel. Scheibler prepares it as follows:—The expre ed juice of the mangold-wurzel, strongly acidulated with hydrochloric acid, is mixed with a solution of sodium phos pho tungstate; [165] the resulting precipitate containing albumen, colouring matter, woody fibre, and a small quantity of the base, is filtered as quickly as po ible, and the filtrate, mixed with a fresh quantity of the precipitant, is left to itself for eight or ten days. It then gradually deposits on the bottom and sides of the ve el a crystalline precipitate, which is rinsed with a little water and treated with milk of lime, whereby insoluble calcium phos pho tungstate is produced, while the betaine remains in solution. The filtered liquid freed from lime by carbonic acid, and evaporated, leaves impure betaine, which may be purified by recrystallisation from alcohol, with help of animal charcoal. [165] Prepared by di olving sodium bitungstate in ordinary phosphoric acid, adding hydrochloric acid, and decanting the clear solution from the precipitate thereby produced. A hydro chlorate, a sulphate, an aurochloride, and a platinic chloride of betaine have been prepared.