Abstract
Green urine excreted by a SMON patient was treated with the separation procedure summarized in Fig. 1. The pale yellow crystals thus separated (A and B) were identified with chinoform (5-chloro-7-iodo-8-hydroxyquinoline) on the basis of the data of melting point, elemental analysis and infrared and NMR spectra. Furthermore, the green pigment obtained from urine and also from green feces of a SMON patient were identified with an iron (III) chelate of chinoform, in view of its absorption spectrum and behavior in thin-layer chromatography.
This finding indicates the possibility of circulation in human body of unconjugated chinoform, when a quantity of the drug in excess of the conjugation capacity of liver was absorbed in overdose or for other reasons; such circulation of free chinoform would spoil human health.
