The Forssman hapten was isolated from erythrocyte stroma of sheep by a solvent fractionation method. The purified material contained 2.8% nitrogen, 11.5% hexosamine, 32.2% hexose and 0.08% phosphorus. It melted with decomposition at 203°C after discoloring over the temperature range of 155 to 191°C. Fatty acid, basic and neutral fractions were recovered after hydrolysis of the hapten. The fatty acid fraction consisted mainly of lignoceric acid along with smaller amounts of nervonic, behenic,

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... aric and palmitic acids. The basic material showed the same chromatographic properties as sphingosine. The neutral fraction was composed principally of galactose and galactosamine accompanied by traces of glucose and glucosamine. The significance of the proportions of the components was discussed.