6 THE ANALYST. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS PUBLISHED IN OTHER JOURNALS. FOODS AND DRUGS ANALYSIS. Alteration in the Character of Butter Produced by Feeding with Fat. G. Baumert and F. Falkc, (Zeit. fiir Untersuch. der Nalzr. uud Genussmittel, 1898, 665-678.)-The authors give the results of a series of experiments undertaken with the view of testing the effect produced upon butter by feeding cows upon fats. The experiments were made upon two cows, Swiss and Dutch. The fats used- sesame oil, cocoanut oil, and almond oil-were selected on account of their dissimi- larity from each other, as well as from butter itself. They were administered in the form of emulsions. The following plan of feeding, embracing five periods of twenty days each, was carried out : (1) Hay and rape meal only. (2) Hay and rape meal with sesame oil.(4) Hay and rape meal with almond oil. The milk was passed through a separator and the cream churned to butter. The butter obtained was then at once melted at 40" to 50" C., allowed to stand for some time at the same temperature, and the fat clarified by filtration. Its examination included the determination of the Kottstorfer and Reichert-Meissl numbers, the Hub1 and iodine numbers, the melting- points and refractions. The results showed that the butter fat was not only greatly changed in character through the feeding with the fats, but that the alteration, as indicated by the numbers obtained, was always in the direction of the numbers characterizing the three fats used in the experiments. I n other words, the butter fats produced by feeding with Eesame oil, cocoanut oil, and almond oil, exhibited the same characteristics as would be found in artificial mixtures of butter fat with the three oils in question.This is clearly shown in the following table of average results : (3) Hay and rape meal with cocoanut oil. (5) Hay and rape meal only.THE ANALYST. 7 of the Periods. 1 Swiss Dutch cow. +2*4 +5*4 -0.6 Swiss cow. ---- 224 204 237 Fat admin- istered, I + 17.6 - 9.2 + 13.6 - Period 111. (Almond oil -0.5 Fat rdmiii- stered. -- - 190 255 195 - Dutch cow. -- 223 206 230 207 216 ~ HUM Number. Reichert-Meissl Number. I Dutch , Swiss cow. cow. I 29.5 15.7 18.6 15.3 24.4 44.3 53.9 37.1 50.9 41.2 Fat 2dmin- iatered. -- I 116 9 98 - Dutch cow. - 45 -0 52.9 35.2 53.9 44.5 The attempt to detect sesame oil in the butter produced in feeding with this oil As regards the melting - point determinations, these yielded the following by means of the furfurol and hydrochloric acid test was, however, not successful.averages : Period. I. 11. 111. IV. v. Swiss cow ... 34.16' 37.00" 33.58" 34-28' 34 50" Dutch cow ... 33.96" 36.76" 34-76' 34.50" 35-15' Compared with the melting-point of pure butter-fat, these results are all very high, the highest being in the case of the sesame oil feeding (II.), which agrees with the results of previous observers (cf. Reprint, vol. xxiii., p. 255). H. H. 13. S. On the Volatile and Insoluble Fatty Acids in Butter. R. Henriques. (Chem. Rev. Fett u. Ham-Id., vo1.v. [9 1, pp. 169-172.)-The author investigated several samples of pure butter exhibiting unusually low Reichert-Meissl values, with the idea of devising a method for distinguishing these butters from mixed butters.It is based on the differences in the actual quantity of and the average molecular weight of the volatile and non-volatile fatty acids. The results, however, showed that butters with a normal R.-M. number contained 5 to 6 per cent., those with an abnormal 4 to 5 per cent. of volatile fatty acids, the average molecular weight of which varied from 93-3 to 99.8 ; hence the results have but a negative value for analytical practice. With regard to the insoluble fatty acids, in these the Hehner number ranged between 86-5 and 89-1 for normal and 88.96 to 90.68 for abnormal butters; but a, difficulty arose in the estimation of the average molecular weight, in that the values found on drying at 105" to 110" C.(viz., 267 to 270) differed from those (256.3 to 263) obtained when the drying was effected at the ordinary temperature in a vacuum desiccator. The author, however, considers that, assuming butter to contain a large pro- portion of oleic acid, the above figures indicate that a considerable amount of an acid of lower molecular weight than palmitic acid is present ; and that by isolating this acid and separating the unsaturated from the saturated acids it is not improbable, provided the assumption of a low average molecular ,weight for this undetected acid be found correct, that the presence of extraneous fats in butter may be discovered by the relatively higher molecular weight of the saturated acids they contain.C. S.8 THE ANALYST. The Action of Formaldehyde on Flesh. (Zeit. Fleisch 26. &?itch. Hyg., 1898, viii., 232.)-The author has made experiments on the preservation of flesh by means of an 8 per cent. solution of formaldehyde. He finds that beef is preserved without the production of any unpleasant odour, but that the meat is only eatable for a short time after the treatment with the antiseptic. Horseflesh, on the other hand, invariably develops a characteristic intense smell within forty-eight hours, resembling that of roast goose-flesh. Only in one instance was a faint suspicion of this odour met with in the case of beef, and the author suggests that this difference may give a further means of distinguishing between the two kinds of flesh.E. Ehrlich. C. A. M. The Amount of Zinc contained in German Dried Fruit. P. Xulisch. (Zeit. ungew. Chem., 1898, 1015-1016.)--The author states that the zinc so frequently met with in American dried fruit is derived not from any addition of zinc salts, but from the action of the acid juices of the fruit on the zinc trays of the drying apparatus. On continued use, these become coated with a hard crust of dried juice, which largely prevents the fruit from coming in contact with the metal, and in such dried fruit the amount of zinc is naturally less. Since all modern German drying apparatus is constructed on the American plan, with zinc-wire trays, the author has examined different kinds of dried Gerinan fruit in order to determine to what extent they were contaminated with the metal. The quantities found in 100 grammes of fruit containing the usual commercial percentage of water were : Gramme.Apple rings a ... ... ... ... ... 0431 Apple chips a ... ... ... ... ... ... 0.023 ... ... ... ... ... 0.021 ... ... ... ... ... 0.027 Pear slices a ... ... ... ... ... ... 0.020 ... ... ... ... . . . 0.026 9 , 7 7 b 9 , 9 9 b ..- 3 , $ 7 b ... All the samples thus contained an amount of zinc not much less than the mean quantity found in American apple rings (cf. ANALYST, xx., 251). C. A. hl. A Volumetric Assay of Opium. A. B. Prescott and H. M. Gordin. (Jozw. Amer. Chem. SOC., 1898, xs., 724-728.)-This is an application of the authors' general method for the estimation of alkaloids (cf. ANALYST, xxiii., 324).The opium alkaloids are liberated by the action of ammonia in the presence of certain solvents. The free narcotine, papaverine, codeine, and thebaine are removed by percolation with benzene, after which the morphine is extracted by percolation with acetone. The acetone is evaporated, and the residue taken up with lime-water, which completely dissolves and purifies the morphine. The solution is filtered, acidulated with hydrochloric acid, and the alkaloid estimated as periodide by titration with Wagner's reagent. Tho details of the assay are as follows : 1 gramme of the finely-powdered opium is triturated in a mortar with 2 or 3 C.C. of a mixture of 5 C.C. of ammonia, 5 C.C. of alcohol, 20 C.C. of ether, and 10 C.C. of chloroform. The covered mortar is left for about three hours, with an occasional gentle shake, after which about 15 grammes of dry finely-powdered common salt are stirred into the pasty mass.I t is then left in a warm place (30" to 35" C.) for two or three hours, and afterwards placed in aTHE ANALYST. 9 desiccator containing sulphuric acid and a dish of parafin wax until perfectly dry. The contents are next transferred to a small glass percolator (22 cm. by 1-3 em.), and percolated with benzene until the percolate is colourless and gives no turbidity with Wagner's reagent. The dish beneath the percolator is replaced, and the percolation continued to complete exhaustion with acetone, as much as 200 C.C. of the solvent being usually required. The acetone extract is evaporated to dryness at a tempera- ture not exceeding 45" C., the residue triturated with fresh lime-water, the solution poured without filtering into a stoppered cylinder of 100 c.c., the dish washed out with lime-water, and the liquid in the cylinder made up to 100 C.C.with lime-water. The cylinder is well shaken for half an hour, and filtered into a second cylinder unti1,the filtrate amounts to 50 C.C. This liquid is rendered just acid with 10 per cent. hydro- chloric acid and 25 C.C. of the & iodine solution run in from a burette with constant shaking of the cylinder. After the addition of water to any convenient mark in the cylinder, the latter is shaken for about twenty minutes, until on standing the super- natant liquid (in which there should be an excess of iodine) is perfectly clear.An aliquot portion (one half) is then filtered off and the excess of iodine titrated with standard thiosulphate. The amount of iodine consumed by the alkaloid multiplied by the factor 0.0094793 gives the percentage of morphine in 0.5 gramme of the opium. The precautions most essential are : (1) That the opium residue be thoroughly dry before percolation ; (2) that the acetone should not contain anything distilling below 54" C. or above 58" C. : and (3) that after the excess of iodine has been added the cylinder be continuously shaken until the supernatant liquid is quite clear. The following were the results obtained by this method in the assay of three samples of commercial opium : A 1 2 3 B l 2 3 c 1 2 3 Opium Taken. Grammes. ... 1.0036 ... 1.008 ... 1.0022 ... 1.0033 ...1.0023 I . . 1.0026 ... 0.99639 ... 1 -0016 ... 0.9988 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Iodine Consumed by 0.5 gramme. 0.116644 0.1 167 3 2 0.11 6642 0.08872 0.08872 0.08873 0.096319 0.097219 0.094552 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Morphine Per cent. 17.41 17.37 17-44 13.25 13-20 13.21 14.48 14-55 14-19 C. A. bf. Estimation of Hydrastine i n Extractum Hydrastis Fluidum." N. Rusting. (Pharm. C. H., 1898, xxxix., 787; through Chem. Zeit, Rep., 1898j 289.)--.Ten grammes of the extract are weighed into a large flask, diluted with 20 C.C. of water, and boiled and agitated till the total weight is reduced below 20 grammes. After cooling, water is added to make the weight exactly 20 grammes, a little infusorial earth introduced, and the whole filtered. Ten grammes of the filtrate are shaken with 25 C.C.of spirit and 3 C.C. of 10 per cent. ammonia.; after a few minutes 25 C.C. of petroleum ether are run in, the liquid is again agitated, and 2 grammes of traga- canth are added. Forty C.C. of the clear ethereal liquid (equal to 4 grarnmes of the extract) are evaporated down to about 15 C.C. over warm water, and the vessel is put10 THE ANALYST. aside for several hours in a cool place. poured off, and the hydrastine crystals dried in the water-oven and weighed. The supernatant liquor is then cautiously F. H. L. Notes on Estimating Eucalyptol. L. F. Kebler. (Amel.. Journ. Plzarnz., 1898, lxx., 492-494.)-Each species of the eucalyptus genus (about 120) apparently yields a distinctively characteristic oil, of which the United States Pharmacopoeia recognises that distilled from the fresh leaves of E.globzclus, E. oleosa, and some other species. With regard to the differentiation of the officiaI oils from the others the author points out that the specific gravity and rotatory power may be valuable criteria, but that the oil can be so niixed as to make these factors of little service. The phel- landrene test is also serviceable, but the chief desideratum is to know the amount of eucalyptol in the oil. In 1894 L, R. Scammell took out a patent for the preparation of eucalyptol on a large scale (Eng. Pat. 14,138), which was bawd on the fact that on adding con- centrated phosphoric acid (specific gravity 1.75 to 1-78) to the oil at the ordinary temperature (not exceeding 60" F.), a crystalline compound of eucalyptol phosphate separated out, which, after being purified by pressure, or centrifugal force, was decomposed with hot water.Faulding (Chemist and Druggist, 1895, 310) examined this process as applied to the quantitative estimation of eucalyptol and found that it gave excellent results. Helbing (Phaym. Record, xxxiii., 26), however, came to the conclusion that it was valueless for quantitative work, and the author's results confirm this. By a modification of the process he has succeeded in obtaining closely approxi- mate results in the following manner : Eight grammes of the oil are weighed into a beaker, which is cooled in ice-water. Four C.C. of phosphoric acid (1.75) are added, the beaker again placed in ice-water, and, after cooling, the contents thoroughly mixed by means of a glass rod. The eucalyptol phosphate is removed, purified by heavy pressure in folds of filter-paper, and weighed. It is then decomposed with hot water, the liberated phosphoric acid titrated with standard alkali, and the eucalyptol obtained by difference. In some cases it is necessary to add more phosphoric acid, especially with pure eucalyptol. The results obtained by this method with pure eucalyptol and a number of oils are given in the subjoined table, in which the direct percentage of eucalypt01 was obtained by Scammell's process. No. Specific Gravity at 15" C. 0.9350 0.9153 0.9116 0.8912 0.8955 0.8876 09081 0.9424 Grammes of Solid ' Encalyptol Phosphate. ~ ~~~ 14.78 10.70 8.10 7.13 3.50 did not congeal tol, by difference. to], direct. 73-62 31.20 23.17 24.29 23.37THE. ANALYST. 11 Of these samples No. 1 was pure eucalyptol, 2 and 8 were special oils at a high price, and the remainder such as are commonly met with in the wholesale trade. C: A. M.