A sensitive method for the determination of caffeine in small plasma samples (50 μ1) is described. The samples are extracted with chloroform and the extrects are freed from interfering compounds by thin-layer chronatography. The spots of caffeine and the internal standard, 7-ethyl theophylline, are scraped off the plates and both compounds are eluted from the scrapings by means of a glass capillary collector. The caffeine in the eluate is quantitated by gas-