THE ANALYST. 259 ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS PUBLISHED IN OTHER JOURNALS. FOODS AND DRUGS ANALYSIS. The Composition of Lard and Beef-fat Crystals. H. Kreis and A. Hafner. (Zeit. Uyztersuch. Nahr. Genussmittel, 1904, vii., 641-669.)-The difference in the form of the lard and beef-fat crystals deposited in the Belfield test was attributed by Hehner and Mitchell (ANALYST, xxi., 328) to the presence of a larger proportion of stearic acid in the latter. The authors, however, find that the difference is due to the lard crystals consisting of the mixed glyceride heptadecyl-distearin, while beef and mutton fat crystals consist of palmitic distearin (ANALYST, xxviii., 359). They have not observed the gradual change of lard crystals on recrystallization into bunches of needles practically indistinguishable from beef-fat crystals, which was noticed by Hehner and Mitchell. In their experiments, 2.4 kilos of lard were dissolved in 4 litres of ether, and the solution cooled at 10" C.to 12" C. The deposit, which weighed 216 grammes, melted at 44.5" C. and 59.8" C. It was recrystallized nine times, until eventually the melting-point became constant at 50.5" C. and 65.2" C. In similar experiments with beef and mutton fat, the first deposits melted at 43" and 54" C. and 44.5" C. and 56" C., and the recrystallized deposits at 50" C. and 60" C. and 50.5" C. and 61.6" C. respectively. These deposits were freed from traces of olein by treatment with Hubl's solution, and were then found to have the same composition and characteristics as the mixed glycerides already described (Zoc.cit.). Determina-260 THE ANALYST. tions of the stearic acid present in the fatty acids gave the following results : Beef- fat crystals, 70.1 per cent. ; mutton-fat crystals, 70.4 per cent. ; and lard crystals 68.6 per cent. Pure heptadecylic acid (C17H3402), isolated from the lard crystals, melted at 55.5" C. I t was more soluble than palmitic or stearic acid in 95 per cent. alcohol, 100 C.C. of which dissolved 0.971 gramme at 0" C. The magnesium salt was readily soluble in alcohol, while the lead salt, which was a white, non-crystalline powder, dissolved easily in hot alcohol, but was only sparingly soluble in cold alcohol. The silver salt formed a flocculent precipitate, which was more soluble than the lead salt in alcohol. The mixed glyceride, ,/3-heptadecylo-distearin [C,H,(C,,H,,O,)(C,;II,,O,) (ClS%OJI, was prepared synthetically by heating the pure acid from lard with a-distearin for twenty hours at 200" C.under reduced pressure (ANALYST, xxviii., 152). I t melted at 51%" C. and 66.0" C., and after crystallization at 66" C. When crystallized from ether, it formed microscopic, well-defined, chisel-shaped crystals, identical in every respect with the recrystallized lard crystals. C. A. 31. The Use of Aluminium Acetate as a Preservative in Sausage. Ed. Mac - Kay Chace. (Joiux A i i w . cllic712. Soc., xxvi., 662.) - The author has recently examined some samples of canned sausage of German origin to which aluminium acetate had been added as a preservative. Two brands were found to contain 60 to 70, and 175 to 200 milligrammes of aluminium respectively per 1-pound tin, the greater part being present in the sausages themselves, Prom the sausages the aluminium could not be removed by either boiling water or dilute hydrochloric acid.On digestion at 40" C. for twelve hours with a solution contain- ing 0.33 per cent. of hydrochloric acid and 0.1 per cent. of pepsin, the greater part of the aluminium passed into solution, so that probably a considerable proportion of the aluminium would be dissolved in the stomach and retard digestion. A. G. L. DiEerentiation of the Various Hinds of Cinrnmon. J. Hanu6. (Zed. Unter- such. Nahr. Gc?zzLssmitteZ, 1904, vii., fX9-G72.)-The author's method of determining cinnamic aldehyde (ANALYST, xxviii., 361 ; xxix., 222) affords a means of distin- guishing between different kinds of cinnamon.Thus, four samples of Ceylon cinnamon yielded 1-74 to 2.19 per cent. of aldehyde-average, 1.89 per cent. Cassia cinnamon gave 2.25 to 3-Sl per cent.-average, 2-71 per cent. ; and flowers of the same cinnamon 3.70 to 6.0 per cent.-average, 4.57 per cent. Two samples of cinnamon chips gave 1.23 and 1.42 per cent. Other barks allied to cinnamon were also examined, with the following results : Czn7~~~~~0rn~im Tcin~clta (East Indian cinnamon), 1.80 per cent. ; wild Ceylon-Canehl, twig bark, 0.12 per cent., and stem bark, 1.31 per cent.; Java Massoy cinnamon (Cin?camornzwt Kiamis Nees) gave no precipitate ; whilst only a slight precipitate wasTHE ANALYST. 261 given by the distillate of Cinnamomum Ceylanici Nees (Tigablas). Hence, cinnamic aldehyde is not present in all varieties of cinnamon.The author suggests that ground cinnamon intended for food should contain at least 1.5 per cent. of cinnamic aldehyde. I n his opinion, all samples containing less than that proportion are adulterated or prepared from refuse (chips). He describes experiments to show that there is no loss of aldehyde during the distillation, and that the aldehyde is in all probability present in the cinnamon in the free state, and not in the form of a glucoside. C. A. 111. Analysis of Drugs. A. Panchaud. (Schweix. Wochenschr. fiir Chem m d Plzarm., 1903, xli. ct seq. ; through Pharnz. Jaw. 1904, lxxii., 716-718.) - The committee engaged in preparing a new edition of the Swiss Pharmacopceia com- missioned the author to undertake experiments on the methods at present in use in the assay of drugs, and also to examine new methods intended to replace the old.The results of these experiments are given in four principal sections: (1) Critical observations on Keller’s method; (2) a proposed new method ; ( 3 ) assay of extracts ; (4) details of the assay of numerous drugs by the new method. Keller’s method was selected as a basis on account of its simplicity and general utility. I t consists in treating the powdered drug with ether or ether-chloroform, liberating the alkaloids with ammonia, and then adding water so that the ethereal layer may be separated. The latter is then shaken with 0.5 per cent. hydrochloric acid, the alkaloid transferred to ether-chloroform, evaporated and weighed.In some cases it was found preferable to use ether instead of ether-chloroform, and to employ a less quantity of solvent than Keller recommends. With all the drugs examined, Panchaud was able to obtain clear solutions without the addition of water. The new method proposed consists in shaking the drug with the solvent and ammonia, drawing off a known volume of the clear liquid, and evaporating. The residue is taken up with 10 C.C. of water, a crystal of hmnatoxylin is added and then q , hydrochloric acid until the colour changes from violet to reddish-brown. Thirty C.C. of water are now added and the titration continued until the colour changes to lemon-yellow. In the analysis of dry extracts, the author reduces them to a fine powder with sand and applies the above method. Soft extracts are dissolved in dilute alcohol, and liquid extracts are dried upon sand and powdered.Tinctures may be con- centrated to one-sixth their volume before analysing. Details are given of the analysis of many drugs by the new method. w. P. s. The Detection of Acetanilide. A. Gregoire and J. Hendrick. (Bzcll. soc. Chim. BeZg., xviii., 94-96.)-1t is stated that acetanilide (antifebrin) is frequently given to animals to nullify the effects of the tuberculin test, and the author has devised the following simple method for the detection of the fraud. The urine is acidified with phosphoric acid and shaken with ether, and the ethereal extract evaporated in the preaence of a small quantity of water to prevent oxidation. The262 THE ANALYST. residual aqueous solution is mixed with a fourth of its volume of concentrated hydrochloric acid and boiled for a short time. I t is then cooled and treated with 1 C.C. of water saturated with phenol, followed by several drops of a solution of calcium chloride, the liquid being shaken after the addition of each drop. If the urine contained paramidophenol (formed in the body from acetanilide) there is a bright red coloration, changing to blue on the addition of ammonia. This reaction is capable of detecting 1 part of pure paramidophenol in 10,000,000, or 1 part in 100,000 in the case of impure solutions such as are obtained by the extraction of urine. Paramidophenol appears in the urine very soon after acetanilide has been taken, and in an hour a strong reaction is given, which begins to decrease in intensity after eight hours, and disappears after twenty-four hours. c. A. b!.