120 THE ANALYST. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS PUBLISHED IN OTHER JOURNALS. FOODS AND DRUGS ANALYSIS. Estimation of Fat in Food-stuffs. C. Beger. (Chem. &?it., 1902, xxvi., 112.) -Nerking and Dormeyer have already shown that an extraction with ether for twelve hours is not sufficient to recover all the fat (or matter really soluble in ether) from various kinds of fodder, and that the yield is larger if the substance is treated with pepsin. In order to study the effect of different methods of extraction, the present author has estimated the proportion of fat in a considerable number of food- stuffs in four different ways: (1) By the usual twelve-hour extraction; (2) by two consecutive extractions of twelve hours each ; (3) by two consecutive extractions of twelve hours, the material being powdered and mixed up between the two stages ; (4) by peptonizing either one of the above residues or the originalsample, and extracting with ether both the portion soluble and that insoluble in water.Taking process 1 as the standard, a table accompanying the paper shows that process 2 does not give an appreciably larger yield of fat, the increase ranging between 0.03 per cent. in the case of palm-kernel cake and 0.28 per cent. in that of linseed, while sesame cake gave an excess of 0.35 per cent. Process 3 gave increases of 0-3 to 0.4 per cent., except in two cases where the yields were practically the same. The peptonizing process led to very different results. If 0.3 per cent. is accepted a8 the limit of experimental error in a fat determination, many: of the samples remainedTHE ANALYST.121 Ash. within that limit, others gave increases of 0.35 to 0.51 per cent. ; malt showed an additional yield of 0-7 per cent., then came cottonseed cake, flesh meal, poppy cake, and beer dregs with 1.14 per cent. Rice gluten showed the most noticeable difference, with an increase of 5974 per cent., so that if the yield by process 1 (0.85 per cent.) is called 100, that by the Dormeyer process becomes 675. Similarly, in the case of beer dregs and malt, the additional amount of fat recovered after peptonization was 1 2 per cent. and 44.8 per cent. respectively. The usual qualitative tests were applied to these secondary quantities of fat, and showed them to be really fat, especially in the case of gluten. The extra, material obtained from cotton meal was a black resin-like substance, and scarcely deserved the name of fat.F. H. L. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - Starch as an Adulterant or Drier in Butter. G. E. Patrick and D. Stuart {Science, January 24, 1902) presented, at a recent meeting of the Chemical Society of Washington, the results of some analyses of butter samples which show that notable quantities of starch (probably potato starch) are now being used in this food, presumably as a drier. A tinned butter contained about 15 per cent. of glucose and 3 to 5 per cent. of starch. The presence of small amounts of sucrose was indicated, but as the glucose added to butter is in the form of the syrup, which may contain some added sucrose, the latter is probably accidental. The glucose is added as a preservative, and also to improve appearance.H. L. Marc. Malic. ~ - - - A New Method for the Determination of Potato Flour in Yeast. A. Hebe- brand. (Zeit. f u y Untersuch. dey Nahr. und Qenussmittel, 1902, v., 58-61.)-From 0.5 to 1 gramme of the yeast containing potato starch is rubbed down with 20 C.C. of a 7 per cent. solution of sodium hydroxide, and a stream of chlorine is passed through the mixture for one minute at the rate of 4 to 5 bubbles per second; 150 C.C. of distilled water are now added, and the liquid allowed to settle for half an hour. After this time the supernatant liquid, in which the yeast remains suspended, is decanted from the sediment, which is washed three times by decantation with water. The sediment is brought on to a weighed filter, thoroughly washed with water, and then in succession with alcohol, ether, and petroleum spirit. The filter and its con- tents are dried for an hour at 100" to 105" C.and weighed. The starch is thus obtained as a pure white powder, and, assuming that the added potato flour originally contained 80 per cent. of starch, the method gives accurate results. w. P. s. analyses) analyses) analyses) S u m m e r apples (six Winter applee (twenty-one The Chemical Analysis of the Apple and some of its Products. C. A. (Journ. Amer. Chem. SOC., 1901, xxiii., 869-884.)-The composition of the Browne. 85'00 7.10 I 3.36 83-16 8-16 i 4-16 I edible or fleshy portion of apples is shown in the following analyses : . - -. . - - - . _ _ - Starch. 1 -04 (1 analysis)122 THE ANALYST.Pectin. The starch completely disappears in the ripe fruit. The average amount of cellulose was found to be 0.90 per cent.; of pentosans, 0.50 per cent. ; of lignin, 0-40 per cent, ; of pectin bodies, 0-40 per cent. ; and of proteids, 0.10 per cent. Apple-juices, ciders, and vinegars gave the following figures on analysis : Proteids. -- -- Juice from sum- mer apples (fiveanalyses) Juice from win- ter apples (four analyses) "Second press- ings " C i d e r ( s i x analyses) Vinegar (four analyses) - _- ___ ---__.- -- -- __- Evaporated apples (two analyses) ... ... 27-61 32.80 19-02 i 1-10 Apple butter(oneana1ysis) 52.58 37.20 1.14 ' 0.97 Cider jelly (one analysis) 44-53 49.50 I 2.18 ' 1.39 Applepomace(oneana1yeis) 70.76 8-09 ! 2.40 , 0.49 1.0502 1 -0569 1 -0376 1.0006 1.0184 --__-,--I-- I 4.08 1 0.87 I - 5.53 2-52 0.25 2-15 1 1'14 1-60 none - 1-25 , - I - 3'61 I - 12.29 13-96 9-14 2 34 2.00 ______- Reducing Sugars.6-76 8 5 7 6.87 0.32 0.52 1 fiee SUC- Acid rose. , as i Ash. 3.23 1 0.72 0.29 3'40 1.49 _. - 0'43 - 0.25 0.14 0 *27 0 *20 0 -29 0.44 I -_____- 0.12 1 0.03 (4 analyses) (4 analyses) 0.12 D *02 (1 analysis) I (1 analysis) _____ Rotation Ventzke, 400-milli- metre tube. --- - 26.67 - 45'15 - 31-94 - I - ! I 0-04 I 0.02 - 2'34 i 0.17 ' 0-01 - 2.01 The free acid given above for cider and vinegar represents the malic acid only. The cider further contained 0.61 per cent. of acetic acid, and the vinegar 6.19 per cent. The average amount of alcohol in the ciders was 5-51 per cent. The ( ( second pressings " are obtained by wetting apple pomace with water and re-pressing.This juice is extensively used for jelly-making and vinegar stock. Other apple products gave results as under : ! w. P. s. The Bromine Teat for Strychnine. J. C. Whrtrton. (Journal of Pharma- cology, 1901, viii., 201 ; through Chern. Zeit. Rep,, 1902, 41.)--If the substance is in chloroform solution, it is brought into a, small test-tube and placed inside a larger tube charged with boiling water till the solvent has evaporated. The residue, or the original sample, if solid, is then moistened with 2 or 3 drops of 1 : 1 sulphuric acid, put back into its hot-water jacket, and agitated till solution is effected. The mouth of a flask containing bromine is next held over that of the tube, so that the latter may become full of vapour.The tube is well shaken to cause absorption of the bromine, and the excess is driven off by immersion in the hot-water tube. If strychnine is present in considerable quantity, carmine-red vapours will probably appear in a few minutes, increasing in intensity as the bromine evaporates. The colour disappears after a time. If only a little strychnine is present, only a littleTHE ANALYST. 123 bromine should be employed, and the halogen itself may be replaced by a solution containing about 1 drop of bromine in 2 or 3 C.C. of chloroform. F. H. L. The Identification and Properties of a- and P- Eucaine. C. L. Parsons. (Jourrc. Arner. Chern. SOC., 1901, xxiii., 885-893.)-These two alkaloids have been recently placed on the market for use as local anesthetics.They closely resemble cocaine, and are often substituted for this drug. a-Eucaine, or n-methylbenzoyltetramethyl-7-oxypiperidin carbonic acid methyl ester, forms a hydrochloride when treated with hydrochloric acid, melting at about 200" C., but decomposing at the same temperature ; a-eucaine melts at 103" C. The hydrochloride is soluble in 10 times its weight of water, the solubility varying with the temperature. Potassium iodide gives, in even moderately dilute solutions, a white silky precipitate with a-eucaine salts. P-Eucaine and cocaine give no reaction. Ammonia precipitates a- or p-eucaine or cocaine, but a-eucaine is almost insoluble in excess. Potassium dichromate, in strong solution, throws down a fine yellow precipitate when added to solutions of a-eucaine.P-Eucuine, or benzoylvinyldiacetonalkamine, melts at 91", and forms a hydro- chloride melting at 268" C. At ordinary temperatures the hydrochloride dissolves to the extent of 3 per cent. in water and about 11 per cent. in alcohol. It is almost insoluble in ether. Cocaine may be distinguished from either of the above alkaloids or from both by the following reactions, If a small amount of cocaine hydrochloride be rubbed up with dry mercurous chloride, and then moistened with alcohol, it rapidly turns a grayish black. a-Eucaine hydrochloride slowly becomes dark gray, whilst the 6-eucaine salt is not affected. Platinic chloride gives a yellow crystalline precipitate with a, 1 per cent. solution of cocaine hydrochloride, which is insoluble in hydrochloric acid.a- and P-eucaine hydrochlorides in 1 per cent. solution yield no precipitate. In stronger solutions a precipitate is formed, which, however, dissolves at once in hydrochloric acid. A drop of potassium permanganate solution is at once turned hewn by a drop of the eucaine solutions, whilst with cocaine hydrochloride the d o u r of the permanganate solution is not changed under half an hour ; but it also eventually becomes brown. Excess of permanganate should be avoided. Solutions of cocaine hydrochloride in either water or alcohol polarize light strongly to the left. Cocaine when used in the eye always causes mydriasis. P-Eucaine does not dilate the pupil. The hydrochlorides are easily identified under the polarizing microscope. a-Eucaine hydrochloride crystallizes in little spots, which under polarized light look like highly-coloured rosettes made of very small crystals, the field never showing any constant extinction directions.,G-Eucaine hydrochloride crystallizes in feathery or fern-like forms, sometimes blade-like or tabular. The extinction direction is usually slightly oblique to the main axis of the crystal. Rarely the crystals are diamond shape. Cocaine hydrochloride crystallizes in fanlike shapes. Extinction It is soluble in its own weight of alcohol. This comparative insolubility is one of its chief characteristics. Eucaine solutions do not polarize light.124 THE ANALYST. is parallel and perpendicular to the main axis of the crystals. brilliant and the whole field is characteristic. three alkaloids behave alike. w. P. s. The eolours are In other respects, especially with regard to the usual alkaloid reagents, these The Behaviour of Calcium Hypophosphite in the Animal System. T. Panzer. (Zeit. fiir Untersuch. der Nahr. und Genussmittel, 1902, v., 11-14.)-The author has made experiments, both on himself and on dogs, regarding the retention of hypophosphites in the body when taken by the mouth. In the case of dogs it was ascertained that these salts were eliminated from the body, principalIy by the the urine, in twenty-four hours. In the experiments on himself, the elimination appeared to be rather more protracted. As hypophosphitea give the same reaction as phosphorous acid when tested by the hydrogen flame-test, in cases of suspected phosphorus-poisoning, it should be ascertained, if possible, whether the deceased had been taking hypophosphites medicinally immediately before death took place. If none had been administered for two or three days before death, and a reaction be obtained, phosphorus-poisoning may then be suspected. w. P. s.