One of the methodes of determination of the small quantities of the carboxyl groups contained within the natural complex molecules, especially of the alkali lignins has been examined with the infrared spectrography, where as a inner standard substance the potassium thiocyanate, and as the model substances of alkali lignin monomer containing carboxyl groups the ferulic acid and the cinnamic acid are adopted. When the ferulic acid is used as a standard model, the carboxyl groups content of the alkali lignin of Cryptomeria japonica D. Don (Sugi) is estimated 0.89 %. i. e, 0.035 COOH per O<CH>_3, and then about one carboxyl group per twenty-eight monomeric units.