122 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS.T e c h n i c a1 C h emi s t ry.Heat of Combustion of Coal.rend., 9 7, 268--271).-A criticism of Bunte and Stohmann’s experi-ments (Munich, 1879, 1880, 1882).Influence of Artificial Lighting on the Atmosphere ofDwellings. By F. FISCHER (Dirigl. polyt. J., 248, 375-379).-Theanthor shows that the preference given to solar oil or rock oil asilluminating agents is not only based on grounds of economy, .butdepends on the fact that these oils contaminate the air of rooms lesslargely than coal-gas. Gas is, however, a more convenient andeffective illuminant. The use of regenerative gas-burners, or of theelectric light especially in the form of incandescent lamps workedfrom accumulators, is strongly recommended, as little or no heat isgiven off, whilst the atmosphere is not contaminated with injurioussubstances, D.B.By SCHEURER-KESTNER (Compt.C. H. B.Chemical Composition of the Water of the Danube aboveVienna in the year 1878. By J. F. WOLFBAUEK (Monatsh. Chem.,4, 417--435).--This paper gives the results of a series of analyses ofDanube water made in the year 1878, chiefly with the view of ascerTECHNICAL CHEMISTRY. 123taining the value of the water for irrigating a tract of land known asthe Marohfeld, situated between the rivers Danube and March. Forthis purpose 23 samples of water were taken at Grafenstein, about20 kilomet,ers above Vienna, at intervals of 16 days from January20, 1878, to January 16, 1879, the height of the river being observedat each taking. The quantities of solid constituents of the water inthe forms of dissolved and of suspended matter (mud) were then deter-mined in each sample, and the several samples were submitted tochemical analysis.The results are given in the following table,TABLE I.-Average Chemical Composition and Hardfiess of DanubeWater i n Four Periods of the Year 1878.10,000 parts by weight of turbidwater contain :Suspended matter (mud)Total amount ..................Including : organic matter andchemically combined water (lossby ignition). .................Carbonates, &c. ................Sand and clay.. ................Dissolved non-rolatile substances :total directly determined ......Organic matter ................Silica.. ......................Ferrous oxide ..................Lime..........................Magnesia. .....................Soda ........................Potash ........................Chlorine ......................Sulphuric anhydride ............Nitric anhydride.. ..............Carbonic anhydride (combined) . .Total. .......Deducting oxygen equivalent tochlorine ....................there remains for calculated sumof dissolved fixed substances. , , .I n the periods :~~ ~I. 1 Ir. I 111. 1 IV.including the samples fromJan. 1 1 May 7 1 Sept. 10 1 Nov. 9toMay 2 I Bug. 26 1 Oct. 23 I Jan. 16Parts by weight.1 *2190 -0790 *5100 -6301 *7270 *0700 -0540 *0040 -6080 -1760 -0490 0170.0340 -1180 -0200 -6211 *7710*0081 '7631 *6540 -0720.7660 *8161 '4610.0420 *0390 -0050 -5430.1280 -0280.0160 *0160 -1060 -0130 -5241 '4600 *0041 *A560 -7650,0210 -3550 -3891 -7810 '0520 -048tJ '0020 *6430 *1750 -0360.0240.0180 *1230 *0130 '652--1 *7S60 9041 -7820 -1480 -0030 -0720 *0731 -9520 -0590 -0520 -0020 * 7 l O0 -1990 -0400'0200,0240 -1540 ti240 -7061 *9900 *0051.985Annualaverage0 -0560 -0480 TO30 *6160.1660 *0380 *0190.0240 '1230 -0180.6151 *7260 -0051 -72124 ABSTRACTS OF C€€EMIOAL PAPERS.TABLE I (continued).or combining the Acids and Rases :-10,000 parts by weight of turbidwater contain :Calcium carbonate ..............Magnesium carbonate ..........Ferrous carbonate ..............Calcium sulphate ..............Potassium sulphate ............Sodium sulphate................Sodium nitrate ................Sodium chloride ................Silica ........................Organic matter ................Total. .......permanent ..........total ..........................I n the periods :I. I 11. 1 111. I IV.including the samples fromJan. 1 I May 7 1 Sept. 10 1 Nov. 9toMay 2 I Bug. 26 I Oct. 23 I Jan. 160 *9690 *3700 *0060.1580 *0310.0180 -0310 -0560 *0540 -0701 %3Parts by weight.0 -8640 -2690 -0080.0300 *0150 -0200.0260 -0390.0420 '14.31 '4561 -0410 -3680.0030 -1460 -0440 -0290.0210 -0300.0480.0521 -782I n Fehling's degrees.1.1050 -4180 -0030 *2290 -0370.0120 -0370.0400 -0520.0591 -9855 -54 -64.64.54.66 *O5 -46 -210-1 1 9.1 1 10.6 I 11.6Annualtverage.0 *9790 '3490 *0050 -1650 *0340 -0180 *0280 *0390 .0480 *0561.721which shows the average composition of the Danube water in fourseasons of the year 1878, together with the average for the wholeyear; also the degrees of hardness according to Fehling's scale, inwhich 1" of hardness indicates the presence of 1 part by weight ofcalcium oxide in 100,000 parts of water.The numbers in Table I show that the minima of dissolved sub-stances and of hardness occur in the spring and early summer months,when the river is swollen by rainfalls and by the melting of theAlpine snows.The variations in the proportion of mud at differentseasons are much greater than those of dissolved matters, the mini-mum 0.96 per cent. being observed on the 11th of December, and themaximum 3.383 on the 6th of July. The water is clearest from thebeginning of October to the middle of January, from which time tillthe beginning of autumn incessant fluctuations take place in the heighTECHNICAL CHEMISTRY. 125Argil- Organic Carbonates, laceous sub-matter soliibleand chem. silicates,:omb. water &c., soluble(loss by in nitric by strongignition). acid. sulphuric acid.of the river, and in the quantity of mud which it carries along. Thegeneral result of all these observations is that as the river rises, itbecomes more muddy and softer, and us it sinks, it becomes clearerand harder.Sand'TABLE 1I.--Average Quantity and Composition of the Mud.0'02530.03480 -15050 -05610 *00290 -003'70 *l7200 '00170 *018810,000 parts ofturbid water containsuspended aa mud :0 '019'70.04330 '00310 -00530 -00200 '0093 --0 -1020Ferric oxide..........Alumina ............Lime.. ..............Soda ................Potash ..............Carbonic anhydride . .Silica ..............Magnesia.. ..........Phosphoric ,, ..0.050 I 0 -33620 *03310 -03280 -00060 *00190 '00800 *0045--0 *2853I 1.03770 '04810 -11190 -1 5420 '06330'01290 '01750 '17200 00170 -4061The preceding data afford the means of estimating the quantities ofmud and of plant-constituents which the water of the Danube iscapable of yielding for irrigation.According to t,he proposed schemefor irrigating the Marchfeld, 1.2 litre of water per second would bemade to flow over each hectare of surface, during the normal irrigationperiod, from April to September inclusive.This amounts to 18,000 kilos. per hectare, or, in other words, thedepth of the layer of water added daily to the soil mould amount to10 mm. With this quantity of water there would be added to thesoil-Floating particles (mud) .............. 2500 kilos.Dissolved matter (total) ................ 2800Potash, dissoivcd 31 kilos.in the form of zeolitic silicatesand clay ......... . 3 1 kilos.Sodium nitrate........................ 46.0............ } 62,,Phosphoric acid ...................... 4-1For the better appreciation of these numbers, it may be added tha126 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS.the quantity of potash thus added to the soil might be estimated toincrease the production of ha.y by 4000 kilos. per hectare. The phos-phoric acid in the water may be roughly estimated as equivalent tothe production of 970 kilos. per hectare. H. W.Organisms in the Air around Carlsberg. By E. C. HANSEN( B i d Cewtr., 1883, 279-283).- By employing sterilised hopped beer-wort the author has examined the air in various localities a t Carls-berg, including the fermenting cellars of a brewery. He gives along list of the various organisms found, and states that all theorganisms found in different parts of the brewery were also found in agarden, excepting Xacch.glutinis and sarcina, Ba. spirilla andspirochetis were never found. Grains should not remain in a brewery,as bacteria proceed from them, which may set up acid fermentation.Alcohol ferments proceed from ripe fruits and the soil, and of theseferments mildew is the most abundant and saccharomyces the leastf requent. E. W. P.Coking of Coal with Conversion of its Nitrogen intoAmmonis. By SCHEURER-RESTNER (Conp rend., 97,179-1 82).-The loss of heat-producing power resulting from the preliminarycoking of coal is only compensated by the value of the condensedammonia compounds when the price of the original coal is extremelylow. C.H. B.Manufacture of Sulphuric Acid free from Arsenic andSelenium. By H. BORNTR~GER (DkgZ. polyt. J., 248, 380).-Withthe view to facilitate the drying and roasting operations, the authorrecommends to filter-press the iron sulphide formed in the manufac-ture of sulphuric acid from the soda residues of the Leblanc processby the aid of spent pyrites (ibid., 243, 151) instead of draining it onfilters. It is also suggested to utilise the resulting liquors for thepreparation of sodium thiosulphate, as they are free from metallicsulphides. D. B.Manufacture of Sulphuric Acid. By H. PEMBERTON (DiTtg Z.pclyt. J., 248, 424),-The author has experimented on the manufac-ture of sulphuric acid fromsulphur, with the view of determining therelation between the consumption of nitre and the chamber-space.His results are of interest, as they include a system which works withGay-Lussac towers.From the amount of denitrated Gay-Lussacacid, the quantity of nitre which passed through the chambers for100 parts of sulphur is calculated. The percentage of nitre consump-tion found is 15.6, which includes 3.5 per cent. of nitre lost.Hurter, in his dynamic theory of the manufacture of sulphuricacid, found that the product of chamber-space into nitre consumptionis approximately a constant number when the chamber-space corre-sponds to 1 per cent. of loss of nitre for works not using Gay-Lussacto tvers. The chamber-space is inversely proportional to the nitrogencompounds present, provided, however, that the loss of sulphur is thTECHNICAL CHEMISTRY.127same, and the same strength of acid is made. For works makingweak acid the necessary chamber-space is much smaller.The following results by Hurter are yearly averages of five Englishworks using pyrites. The aut,hor’s numbers refer to works wheresulphur is exclusively used. The two are not, however, comparative,as in the author’s case the loss of sulphur and the concentration ofthe acid is not shown :-Hurter’s Results (only Pyrites).Chamber space for1 pound of sulphur.cubic feet.A . . . . 32.3B... . 29.8 c . . .. 24.5D.. .. 22.3E.. .. 22.81.. .. 26.82.. .. 29.83.. . . 35.74.. .. 19.2Nitre usedfor 100sulphur.10.011.212.013.79.5Product of nitre,consumption intochamber space.32333429430521 7Acid producedfrom100 sulphur.431392345386405Pemberton’s Results (Xdphur).10.0 268 -9.0 268 -8.0 285 -15.6 300 -Sp.gr.Ofacid.1-551.651-651.651.50In the case of A and E the acid is much weaker ; the produce fromA is larger, and the chamber-space in the case of E much smaller.No. 4 was worked with Gay-Lussac towers, the loss of nitre being3.5 per cent. D. B.Formation of Sodium Sulphate in Bricks. By G. CHRISTEL(Arch. Pharm. [3], 21, 39--41).-The author found that a mass ofeffloresced salt, which appeared upon some bricks in cold weather,consisted of sodium sulphate with a trace of sodium carbonate. Theprincipal chemical constituents of the materials used in the manufac-ture of the bricks were aluminium silicate, iron pyrites, and sodiumsilicate.The author supposes that the formation of sodium sulphatemay be due to one or all of the following reactions :-(l.) The ironpyrites, under the influence of heat in presence of water, absorbedoxygen, forming iron sulphate and sulphuric acid ; the latter actingon sodium silicate would form sodium sulphate ; the sulphuric acidformed in the above manner would also act on aluminium silicate,giving rise to sodium alum, which, when heated, would yield aluminaand sodium sulphate. (3.) The existence of calcium sulphate or ot,hersulphate in the original materials, which, during manufacture, wouldact on a sodium salt yielding sodium sulphate by double decomposi-tion.W. R. D.New Process for Producing a Bronze-coloured Surface onIron. By L. MAFER (Dingl. polyt. J., 248, 249).-The cleanedobjects are exposed to the vapours of a heated mixture of concentrate128 ABSTRACTS OF OHEMICAL PAPERS.hydrochloric and nitric acid (1 : 1) for a few minutes, and heated to atemperature of 300-350°, the heating being continued until thebronze coloixr appears. The objects are then cooled, rubbed withVaseline, and heated, until the latter begins to decompose. Thisoperation is then repeated. A bronzy oxide coating is obtained byusing acetic acid in conjunction with the above-mentioned acids. Byvarying the proportions of the different acids, it is possible t o obtainlight or dark brown shades. The author has coated iron T-bars inthis manner and exposed them for about a year to the atmosphereof his laboratory witgout the slightest change ';r sign of corrosiin.D.B.Production of a Gold-coloured or Green Surface on Brass.By C. PUSCHER (Din,gZ. polyt. J., 248, 3@4).-40 grams of causticsoda, 40 of milk-sugar, and 1 litre of water, are boiled together for15 minutes. 40 grams of a cold saturated solution of sulphate ofcopper are then added padually, the mixture being stirred con-tinually. A short immersion ofthe articles to be coated results in the formation of a gold colour, Alonger digestion yields a bluish-green tint, whilst after a very longimmersion iridescent colours are obtained.The solution is then cooled to 75".D. B.Adulteration of Cement. (Din$. poZyt.J., 248, 245-249).-A t the sixth general meeting of the Society of German Cement Manu-facturers, held in Berlin, a long discussion on the adulteration ofPortland cement took place, and the following propositions wereunanimously agreed to :-(1.) Portland cement is a product formed by intimately mixinglime and alumina, burning the mixture t o the point at which themass begins to slag, and disintegrating i t to the fineness of flour.(2.) Every product which is formed in a different manner orreceives foreign additions during or after burning, is not t o beregarded as Portland cement. Additions of 2 per cent. of gypsumare, however, admissible.(3.) The sale of cement containing foreign substances as Portlandcement is an imposition on the consumers.(4.) Good Portland cement is not improved by mixing foreign sub-stances like calcium silicate (ground blast-furnace slag) trass, groundclay, slate, limestone, &c., with it.But supposing it could be shownthat such additions were of advantage, they should not be allowed, asthe consumer cannot cont'rol the quantity or quality sufficiently toenable him to guard himself against fraud.(5.) Every addition is therefore to be regarded as the commence-ment of the preparation of mortar, and concerns, not the manufacturer,but the consumer.(6.) As the test which is used at the present time is unavailablewhen Portland cement is adulterated with foreign substances, and thecharacter of cement is altered when such additions are made, it isuseless to apply the same in comparing mixed with unmixed cement.D. BTECHNICAL CHEMISTRY.129Metallurgy of Nickel. By W. P. B L ~ ~ K E (Chem. News, 48, 87-89).-In an interesting address, the author remarks that for many yearsafter its discovery nickel was produced only as a bye-product in theworking of cobalt ores, and even when it came into use, it appearedonly as an alloy, and until 1876, when Wharton in America investi-qated the subject and produced considerable quantities of the metal,pure nickel was as rare as thallium is at the present time. Subse-quently Fleitman improved and cheapened the refining. operations,and reduced the liability to the presence of blow-holes in nickel cast-ings, by adding a very small quantity of magnesium to the moltenmetal in the pot.By this means the carbonic anhydride is destroyed,magnesia and graphite being formed. Since then large quantities ofthe pure metal have been produced, and many uses found for it.Nickel welds well with iron, and the two metals when rolled togetherat the proper temperature, become so firmly united that they maybe rolled down together to any thinness. There are all thicknessesof nickel upon iron.In scrap or waste, the nickel is recovered by dissolving away theiron with sulphuric acid. Formerly nickel plates, &c., were beatendirectly under the hammer : hence there was a great, loss by scaling,as with iron, but now this is avoided by covering the nickel with athin sheet of iron, which is afterwards dissolved off.This nickellediron is extremely useful ; the coating is much more firmly attached,and hence more durable than the electrically deposited nickel, whilstf o r domestic purposes, for covers, saucepans, &c., it surpasses tinned irono r copper, for the nickel is not only lighter, harder, and stronger, butis also less liable t.0 tarnish and corrode, so that it can always be keptpolished. It moreover will wear longer, and cannot be melted off byoverheating . D. A. L.Novelties in the Iron Industry. (DilZ@ poZyt. J., 248, 498-509.)-In a paper read at the August meeting of Mechanical Engi-neers, Cochrane referred to the working of blast furnaces, and espe-ciaily to the effect which the position of the tuyeres has on theworking of t'he furnace. The position of the tuyeres if badly chosenmay often annul the saving effected by working with large furnacesand a specially hot blast.By drawing back the tuyeres a great ad-vantage is gained ; thus by increasing the distance of the tuyeres from1.83 meters to 2.13 the make of iron was raised from an average of483 tons t o 599 tons, the consumption of coke being practically thesame in both cases (603 tons).According to Delafond, the dephosphorisation of pig-iron in basiclined open hearths has the following advantages ov,er the converter.The preparation and maintenance of the basic lining is not attendedwith the same difficulties. The addition of lime and the removal ofslag can be effected at any period of the operation.Gautier states that the pressing of fluid steel during the process ofcooling is conducted at the Whitworth Steel Works by pouring thefluid metal into moulds composed of a series of superposed steel ringslined with a refractory material.The moulds are placed on wheels,and when full are run under the hydraulic presses. A refractoryVOL. XLVI. 130 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS.stone prevents the ram of the press from being welded together withthe steel. Steelprepared by compression is said to gain considerably in hardness.The longer the surface of a casting is allowed to remain in the fluidstate, the more uniformly will it contract on cooling, and the smallerwill be the number of hollow spaces which are formed. Krupp hasutilised this circumstance in practice by surrounding the upper sidesof the castings with fluid slag or sand.Gmelin recommends the use of a jacketted cylinder cooled by waterfor the walls of cupolas.Dufren6 has patented a new arrangement in cupolas heated by gas,the generator being in direct communication with the furnace.Inthe lower part of the collecting space immediately above the openingthrough which the fire gases enter, an intermediate hearth is arranged,consisting of a series of barrelled ribs, so as to allow the flame to passinto fhe charge which is placed on the hearth.Besson has modified the construction of cupolas by coiinecting thechamber of the furnace with a separate iron hearth and a specialcombustion space, which is said to accelerate the fusion.Reusch works up scrap iron by heating it to redness in a furnacewith a reducing flame, whereupon it is pressed into moulds and rolledout to bars, plates, &c.Red Wine Manufacture in Germany. By NESSLER (Bied.Centr., 1883, 422--423.)-The growth of a taste for red wines inGermany, and the planting of new vineyards to supply it in the vinedistricts, has induced tlbe author to publish the recommendations con-tained in the present paper.They relate to situation of the vineyard,and the descriptions of grapes which should be grown ; he discussesthe kind of vats which should be used, and recommends a large cham-ber or other place which can bc kept a t a uniform temperature of 16-20°, in which the process of fermentation should be carried on in-dependent of outside temperature : he cautions the wine makeragainst the use of unripe or spoiled grapes.Extractive Matter in Tyrolese Wine, 1883 Vintage.By A.HENECKE ( B i d Gentr., 1883, 426)-It is the custom to examine theyearly averages of wines grown in the district; as those of 1882 wereof inferior quality to those of many previous years, it was expected thatthe extractive matter would have been very low. The reverse wasthe case, however, and the author endeavours to explain this by sup-posing that in plentiful years the poor and spoiled bunches are left,the superior chosen for wine making. During the year in question,there were few choice bunches, and the decayed or unripe grapesyielded a large extract. The wine of the year was thick and muci-laginous, cleared badly, and developed bacteria in quantity.Heattributes it to the low proporbion of alcohol in the wine.Preservation of Wines. . By E. HOUDART (Compt. rend., 97, 55).The second fermentation of light wines rich in sugar, such as the" vins de coupage," when kept in casks for daily consumption, maybe prevented by carefully heating the wine to 55-60° in a speciallyconstructed apparatus, and storing it in casks pile viously well washedThe pressure used is equal to 600 atmospheres.D. B.J. F.J. FTECHNICAL CHERIISTHT- 131Corny.with boiling water. The air which enters the cask when the wine isdrawn off, is filtered through cotton-wool. This treatment does notappreciably affect the composition, colour, flavour, nor any other pro-perty of the wine.Wine and its Examination. (DingZ.polyt. J., 248, 293-296.)According to 1SIIaumen6, mnocyanin, the colouring matter of wine, iscolourless at the commencement of the ripening of grapes, and isrendered blue by oxidation ; iron takes no part in this change.For the preparation of wine from roots, Brin recommends the fol-lowing method. Beetroots are boiled, triturated and pressed ; thejuice is brought into fermenting vats provided with steam pipes andfermented with yeast, malt, or apple-juice. The requisite quantity oftannic acid is then added, the mixture allowed t o settle, filtered, andthe product treated like ordinary grape-wine. This product is saidto form a suitable adulterant for red wines. Turnips yield a whitecoloured wine when treated in a similar manner; it is, however,advisable to add a small quantity of nitric acid to the mass at thebeginning of the fermentation.Lorraine Wir~es.-Weigelt has prepared a number of wines fromgrapes of the year 1881, and examined the same with the followingresults :-C.H. B.S t . Julien ,nearMetz."Alcohol per cent. by w-eight..Extract ..................Non-volatile acid ..........Volatile acid ..............Free tartaric acid.. ........Glycerol ..................Mineral substances ........Sulphuric anhydride ......Phosphoric anhydride ......Polarisation ..............Alcohol per cent. by weight..Extract ..................Yon-volatile acid . . . . . . . . . .I'olatile acid ..............Free tartaric acid ..........Glycerol ..................Mineral substances ........Phosphoric anhydride .. . .Polarisation ..............Sulphuric anhgdridi.. . . . . . . .~~ ~~~ ~-dorching6 -2102 -1180 -4200 -1950 '0260 *6380 -1680 *0060 '024t oirs on thtMoselle.7 -4702 '2640.4800-1550 '0290 '4390 -2060 '0090 *047-0 '2Iayingen. Novthnt.6 *2802 *0670 *4200.1170.0150-5030 '1 690 '0080.0350 *16 -5702 '0000 *4950 -1170 '0230 '4030 '156O s O 0 40 '026*O7.0002 -0780 '5280.1570 *0280 -2440 *1900 '0040 *028f OMarsal. Barzel-lona.7.9302 -7870 -4800 *2020 '0330 '3800 *2550 -0070 *033- 0 . 110 '4.602 -2610 *9070 -1350 -0410 -1550 -0040 -036-+0*212 -0002 '5280'4120 -1870 '0590 '7730 -2050.1260 '031-0.27 -2701 -9810.4950 -1700.0340 *5290 *1760 -0060 *030to91* Red and white grapes132 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS.Fresenius and Borgmann (Zeitschr.And. Chew., 1883, 46) give adescription of their investigation on pure grape wines.Borgmann confirms the assumption that wine which contains lessthan 7 pts. glycerol for 100 pts. alcohol, has been treated with alcohol.Preparation of Spirit and Pressed Yeast. (DingZ. p d y t . J.,248, 464--46Y.)-At the annual meeting of the Society of GermanSpirit Manufacturers, t.he more recent experience gained in the mazu-facture of spirit and pressed yeast was discussed.Delbriick treated of the improvements which have been effected inthe manufacture of spirit by the introduction of new mashing appa-ratus.Referring to the preliminary mashing vats used for mixingthe malt and the stuff coming from the steamers, both of which areintroduced a t different temperatures, it is stated that the main objectis to obtain perfect agitation, so that no differences of temperaturecan be noticed a t any period of the mashing. With regard to themode of cooling, ft very advantageous arrangement is the use of anexhauster, although cooling by means of water is more trustworthy.According to Marker, Goutart's ma,shing apparatus is the mostperfect in mechanical construction and working power ; a very con-centrated mash is obtained by its use.Francke discussed in detail the conditions necessary to produce thehighest yield of yeast.Bread Making.By V. MARCANO (Compt. rend., 96, 1733-1734).-In experiments on bread-making made in Venezuela, the authorfound that the fermenting paste is free from saccharomyces, but con-tains a large number of moving sphero-bacteria. During fermenta-tion, the gluten and a small portion of the albumino'ids are partiallydissolved and converted into peptones not precipitable by tannin.These results agree with those of Chicandard (Abstr., 1883,1179), butthe author found that contrary to the statement of this chemist, thepaste at the commencement of fermentation contained a considerableproportion of erythro-dextrins and a relatively small quaiitity ofsoluble starch, whilst a t a later stage i t also contained a notable pro-portion of achroo-dextrins. I n Venezuela, the bread is made from amixture of flour and starch which is comparatively poor in gluten.The bacterium does not a,ttack the starch unt,il after it has destroyedthe albumino'ids, hence the necessity for using a very active fermentdeveloped by means of maize, potatoes, &c.Similar fermentationtakes place whenever any grain, fruit, root, &c., is exposed to the airin the tropics. If European yeast is placed in moistened starch, theyeast gradually disappears, and is replaced by bacteria. Attempts torepeat these experiments in Paris have yielded negative results, thestarch always remaining unat,tacked. It would appear, therefore, thatin all experiments on fermentation, it is necessary to take into accountthe local conditions, which may exert great influence on the natureand progress of the change.Fermentation of Bread.By L. BOUTROUX (Compt. ~eitd., 97,116--119).--Leaven from rye-bread made at a farm at a considerableD. B.D. B.C. H. BTECHNICAL CHEMISTRY. 133distance from a brewery was found to contain bacteria and four otherdistinct organisms, viz., JIycoderma vini, two distinct species of yeastdifferent from that of beer and wine, and an organism which appearsto be Sacchnrornyces minor, but which has no power as a ferment.The bacteria were very abundant, but the other organisms could onlybe recognised by careful cultivation, and it would appear thereforethat the bacteria are the DrinciDal apents of fermentation, the other I " organisms playing a secoidary and comparatively insignificant part.C.H. B.Percentage of Sugar in Beet. By I(. STAMMER and P. DEGENER(Bied. Centr., 1883, 274-278) .-Stammer has ir?troduced a pulperwhich enables a higher percentage of sugar to be obtained in themanufacture of beet-sugar, and he shows the gain obtained by sue-cessive pressings of the pulp. Beets which have gone to seed andothers which hare withered, are by no means wanting in sugar. Afterthe mash has been extracted with 50 per cent. alcohol, it still yieldssugar to 75 per cent. alcohol. Degener describes his method for esti-mating the value of roots, which method yields higher results thanthat of Scheibler, as modified by Seckel.E. W. P.Strontia Process. B y C. SCHEIRLER (Dingl. polyt. J . , 248,426428).-The author mixes a 20 to 25 per cent. solution of purecane-sugar heated to 70" to 75" with strontium hydroxide in theproportion of 1 mol. sugar to 1 mol. SrHz0,,8Hz0, stirring the liquorcontinually. On cooling, a supersaturated solution of strontiummonosaccharate is obtained, from which, after some time, eitherunaltered strontium hydroxide crystallises o u t or monosaccharateseparates according as the saturated solution has been treated witha few crystals of strontium hydroxide, or a small amount of mono-saccharate. The saccharate, C12H22011Sr0,5Hz0, is formed in thecold by introducing the requisite quantity of finely-divided stron-tium hydroxide into a cold sugar solution, with constant agitation.The author utilises this reaction for the recovery of sugar frommolasses.He dissolves 0.5 k. of strontium hydroxide in 1.5 k. ofboiling Walter, and mixes it with 1 k. molasses. The clear solutionis allowed to cool and stirred frequently, small quantities of mono-saccharate being added at the same time. After 12 to 24 hours, thestrontium ssccharate has crystallised out ; it is freed from the mother-liquor by filter presses, and washed with water or a cold saturatedsolution of strontium hydroxide. I n order to recover the sugar whichremains in the liquors, an excess of strontium hydroxide is added, andthe mixtnre boiled f o r some time : thus nearly all the sugar is preci-pitated as strontium disaccharate ; the strontium hydroxide remainingin solution is precipitated with carbonic anhydride.The disaccharatewhich is saturated with mother-liquor is converted into monosaccharateby dissolving it in molasses and adding a hot saturated solution ofstrontium hydroxide (1 mol. total sugar requires 1.25 mols. strontiumhydroxide). The strontium monosaccharate is separated in themanner just described. From the latter, the sugar is recovered bythe ordinary methods, or the strontium hydroxide may be first partlyseparated as such and again used for a further operation. E'or thi134 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS.,purpose the saccharate is dissolved in hot, but not boiling water, audthe solution allowed to cool without agitating it, when strontiumhydroxide crystallises out.The author has determined the solubility of strontium.mono-saccharate in water a t different temperatures. The following t,ablegives the solubilities to 60", the temperature at which the decom-position of the saccharate commences :-6 2&EikE-r -0246810121416182r I2224262830323 4363840424446485052545658Monosaccha-rate,C,2H,cO,,SrO.grins.28 '430 *232 *O33 -935 *737.539 -541 -643 -846.248 -651 *253.956 -759.762.765 .tl69 *373.277.582 -387 *893 *8100 *7109 a 7121.9124.3147 '0162 -9185 -1One litre contains-Sugar.--grms.21 *8023 '1824.5626 -0327'4128 -7930 '3231 *9333 *6235 -4637.3139 '3 141.3843.5345 *8348 -1350 *5153 *2056 *1859 *4963 -1867 -4072 *0177 *3184 -2193.58103 -10112.85125.05142 -103 t ron t ium)xide, S r 0 .--grms.6 *607 '027 *447.878.298.719-189-6710 -1810 -7411 -2911 -8912 -5213'1713 *8714.5715 -2916 .l o17 -0218 *0119 -1220 *4021 -7923 *3925.4928.3231 -2034-1537 -854.3 '00Crptallinestrontium hy-droxide,H2Sr0,.8H,0.grms .16 *9318 *OO19 -0720 *2121 -2822 *3523 -5424 -7926 -1027.5328 *9fi30 -5132 -1233.7935 -5837 '3739 -2141 -3043 *6246.1949 '0552 -3355.9060 *0165 *3872 -6580 *0457 -6197 -08110 *31Sp. gr. ofthe mono-saccharatesolutionit + 17.5".1.017751 'OM921 '020001 -011.1191 *022311 '023441 -024691 -026001 '027381 *028a81 *030381 -032001 -033691 *035441 * 037311 *039191.041131 *043311 '045751 '04.8441 '051441.054881.058631 '062941 -068561.076191 '083941 '091881 *lo1811 *11569Corre-:ponds withdegrees,Brix.--4 *514 *815 -085 '375 -655 -936 -246.566 -907 -277 -648.038.448 *879 *329 -7710 -2410 *7611-3411 '981 2 *6913 -5014 '3715 '3716 -6718 *4020.1 421 *9124 -0827.06D.B.Preparation of Potato Starch. (Diiigl. po7yt. J., 248, 381.)-Nitykowski has made a seyies of comparative tests on the cultivationof potatoes. He found that the recent heavy rains have reduced thetotal yield of potatoes by about 25 per cent. of the average of thelast ten years.Thirty-seven varieties were examined, the yieldrt-tnging from 9697 kilos. per 5000 square meters (containing 19.1TECHNXCAL CHEMISTRY. 135per cent. starch, equal to 1838 kilos.) to 41.67 kilos. (containing 16.38per cent. starch, equal to 683 kilos. starch per 5000 square meters).The so-called " alcohol potatoes" proved to be the most mealy andrichly flavoured. The yield was 7500 kilos. per 5000 square meters(containing 19.26 per cent. starch, equal to 1445 kilos.).Miirker states that potatoes rich i n starch should be used for seed.Samples of a Saxon variety of potatoes were analysed, and a greatdifference was found in the amount of starch present.In expe-rimenting on the effects of different manures on the potato, it wasshown that the produce was increased with potassium salts, especiallythe chlorides, whilst the amount of starch was diminished. Markerstrongly condemns the manufacture of starch without the utilisationof the refuse water for the irrigation of meadows and arable land, asthis water contains valuable fertilisers.According to Saare, the great loss in the manufacture of starch isdue to the want of efficient disintegrating machines.Experiments with Nielsen and Petersen's Centrifugal Sepa-rator. By W. FLEISCHMANN (Bied. Centr., 1883,411-415).-A descrip-tion of the machine and some results of working with it ; the yield ofcream is good ; and rate of revolution being but 1600 revolutions perminute against 423'2 revolutions in the Lava1 separator, there is con-siderably less danger of accident.In eight experiments, where thetemperature of the milk was gradually increased from 5" to 40°, thefat left in the skim milk decreased from 0.8508 in the first to 0.2229in the eighth, which the author takes toprove the beneficial influenceof a temperature of 40". Suggestions are made for improvements oradditional appliances, but would not be understood without a longdescription. J. F.Comparison of Various Systems of Butter-making. By N.FJORD and others (Bied. Cenfr., 1883, 415-416) .-The authors havefor a year compared five different systems of butter-making : the iceprocess; cooling by water at 10"; churning; and the centrifugalmachine of Nielsen and Petersen.The yield from all processesvaried considerably, but the centrifugal showed the best ; andwhereas the average of the ice process required 27.5 lbs. of milk tomake 1 lb. of butter, the centrifugal required 3 lbs. of milk less.Faults in Butter Manufacture. By OTTO (Bied. Ceiztr., 1883,417).-The author draws attention to certain precautions whichshould be taken not only in butter-making, but with the milk fromwhich butter is made, as many mistakes do not show themselvesuntil after the butter has been stored some time.Cows should not be irrationally fed ; they should not be constantlyfed on one material, but on various descriptions of fodder in reasonablevariety. The milk of old cows which is slightly bitter should only beused in moderate proportion with other milks.Ventilation of stablesmust be carefully attended to, the cows kept clean, and the milkquickly removed from the stable lest it should acquire a bad flavour.The locality of the dairy should be carefully attended to. A freeD. €3.J. F136 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS.current of fresh air should play around it, and the floor should not bemade of a porous material, such as bricks. The cleansing of thevessels is of the greatest importance. The rancidity of butter is fre-quently due t o want of attention to this ; they should be cleaned withsoda, steam, &c. The souring of the cream should not be continuedlonger than 24 hours, or the butter will have a slightly bitter taste.J.F.Fixing Indigo on Cotton. By PCHLIEPER and Bmx (Chem. News,48,64--65).-For this purpose, the indigo is ground up for two dayswith caustic soda and water ; it is then mixed with a mixture of Britishgum, maize starch, water, and caustic soda, and the whole heated a t55" in a water-bath, well stirred, and cooled immediately. Thecolour ought now to be gelatinous, and is printed on the cloth, whichis prepared with glucose and well dried. The dyed cloth is thensteamed for 10-15 minutes. Light or dark shades are obtained byusing more or less indigo with more or less soda. The o d y goodr e s i s t is Precipitated sulphur, and thickening. A yeZZow resist isformed with cadmium chloride, precipitated sulphur, and thickening.A red resist is made of red liquor, tin-crystals, calcined starch, andprecipitated sulphur. Light blue, the cloth prepared with glucose, isprinted with caustic soda, thickened with dextrin and maize starch,steamed for 15 seconds, arid padded with indigo colour. In using thered resist, the soda must be remo-red, or the cloth must be passed intoammonium chloride. An indigo colour is easily discharged on Turkey-reds. Fm a Turkey-red mordant, heat gelatinous alumina with causticsoda, add water, neutralise with hydrochloric acid, and add more water.For padding, this mixture is also used in a more dilute form ; it isdried and aged on the cloth, then passed t'hrough lukewarm chalkwater, which converts the sodium into calcium aluminate. This mor-dant can withstand the action of sulphiiric acid without losing muchof its depth, and on this property the production of indigo dixhargestyles is founded. For the production of indigo Turkey-red, the clothpreviously mordanted for, or dyed with dizarin, is saturated withglucose. The indigo is now printed on, the fabric steamed, washed,exposed to the air for a few minutes, passed into sulphuric acid (So B.)for about 20 seconds, washed, passed into weak sodium carbonate, andagain washed, The red pieces are soaped at a boil, the alizarin isdissolved, and the blue colour appears. To obtain white on Turkey-red or indigo-blue, a dark blue and strong soda-lye are printed onbefore proceeding as indicated, or a strong lye is priiited on the Turkey-red mordant, then steam, dry, and print on the indigo,D. A. L.Process for preparing a Mineral White. (Dingl. pol,yt. J.,248, 260.)-According to C'obley, a solution of magnesium sulphaheis converted into magnesium chloride by the addition of calciumchloride. Gal-cium hydroxide throws down a white precipitate from the mixed sola-tion. A cheaper white is obtained by precipitating a solution of thecorresponding snlphates with calcium hydroxide.10 per cent. of aluminium chloride are then added.D. B