Contributions to the knowledge of cholesterol

Abstract A translation, from the German, of the original paper by Friedrich Reinitzer published in Monatshefte für Chemie, volume 9, pages 421–441, 1888 in which he describes his observations resulting in the discovery of liquid crystals. We are grateful to Granmont Incorporated of the Montedison Group for permission to publish their translation which has been revised slightly by Professors F. Schneider and H. Steyemeyer.