THE ANALYST. 101 ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS PUBLISHED IN OTHER JOURNALS. FOODS AND DRUGS ANALYSIS. Ramschen's Method of estimating Fat in Milk. R. LBz6. (Bepert. Pha?.nz., 1901, xiii. [3], 1 ; through Chem. Zeit. Rep., 1901, 52.)-This process has been inves- tigated by Fouard, and the present author considers it very useful. The reagent consists of 8 grammes of potassium hydroxide, 10 C.C. of ordinary ammonia, 55 C.C. of ethyl alcohol, and 15 C.C. of amyl alcohol. When the potash has dissolved, the whole is diluted with ammonia to 100 C.C. Thirty-six C.C. of milk and 10 C.C. of the reagent are brought into a flask holding 50 or 60 c.c., the neck of which is graduated. The flask is placed on a boiling water-bath, and gently agitated at intervals for about twelve minutes. Hot water is then added till the liberated fat collects in the graduated portion of the neck, and its volume is read off at a temperature of 40" C.At this point the specific gravity of butter-fat is about 0.90. F. H. L.102 THE ANALYST. _ _ _ _ ~ Apricots ... Greengages ... The Composition of the Juice of Certain Fruits. Truohon and Martin- Claude. (Jouwz. Pharm. Chim., 1901, xiii., 171-176.)-The authors have analysed the juices of several kinds of fruit intended for the manufacture of syrups, etc., and have obtained the following results, expressed in grammes per litre : Inversion. I Inversion. 1 I -- ---- 2-64 I 4-15 +29"6' /<"8.'T*r 8-80 0.80 - 7 1 057 Mirabelles ... 6-57 1 3'04 + 6 ~ 1:; 1 0.59 Sacchaiimeter, degrees. 2 Invercion. p205. \ Citric I Acid. Tartaric Acid.- -- present - trace present - - - present - - present - K20. 0.44 0.97 0.46 0.97 0.86 1 -25 1 '01 1-63 0.76 1-68 1.81 2.09 nversion. i Q - ~ I , -~ -- - ___ -- Cherry (early) 1040.4 83.60, - -9" Cherry (in -------I- -9" 4.95 - 0.33 1 slight r trace 0.21 ' - 3 *40 2.40 10.00 13.80 9-60 8 *60 7.20 10.80 7'60 2'60 4.60 6.80 .~. 3.00 3-88 5 -96 5 '72 4 32 5 -40 4.44 7-20 4-70 3-56 4.20 3.72 - 16" 5' 8.46 -7" ' 9.15 -21" , 11.52 -15" 17-82 - 11" 96-49: - -16"5' I I 45-18 - - 7" I 99-98, - - 21" 88.191 - -15" 63.681 - -11" - . season) ... 1055.4 Early Straw- berry ... '1026.2 Strawberry (in 1 season) ... 11048.2 Raspberry . . . 1050.3 Gooseberry: I Red.., ... 1040-0 0.60 1 present 0'26 - 0.32 I - 28.50 25.65 31.44 6 *84 2 *04 9-60 7'44 - - 0 -47 0.25 0.66 0 -46 0.16 0-37 0'19 Gooseberry: I Black Currant '1065.5 116.60' - -25" Peach .. 4-2" 5' Pear ... ... 11055.0; 86.801 - -10" 2' Quince ... j1048*0, 75.90 - - 7" 4' Apple ... ... 11068.0 1302.80 6.60 -- 8" Green ... 11049.81 87.43' - -15'3' ... 11054.0 I 33-50 ~ 19.80 _ _ ~ ~ ---___- - 15" 3' - 25" - 14" - lO"2' -7" 4' - 13" 5' Analyses of the entire fruits (pulp and juice) gave the following results, calcu- lated on 100 grammes : __ ~- - ! Citric 1 Tartaric Acid. I Acid. I I 1 Saccharimeter. I I I I K20, 1 p205, per Cent. per Cent. degrees. 0.126 0.05 0'115 0.06 0.217 1 0.07 trace None of the juices examined contained glucose. I n testing for salicylic acid, 100 C.C. of the sample were diluted with the same volume of water, and about 2 C.C. of a concentrated solution of ferric chloride added.The liquid was shaken until homogeneous, about 10 grammes of calcium carbonate added, the precipitate allowed to settle, the filtrate extracted with ether, and the residue from the extract tested with dilute ferric chloride solution. Without this treatment, several of the juices, notably that of the strawberry, gave colour reaction in the absence of salicylic acid. Of the natural colouring matters, only that of the peach was soluble in ammo- niacal amyl alcohol, yielding a yellowish-red colour, which, however, did not dye silk. The authors have proved that the natural colours cannot be confounded with coal- tar or other added colouring matters, such as archil, logwood, cochineal, etc. C. A. M. __ - _______ ._ ~ ~THE ANALYST.103 The Composition of Belgian Butter. J. Wauters. (Bull. de la Soc. Belge, 1900, xiv., 453-470.)-1n discussing the new Belgian law for the prevention of the adulteration of butter with margarine, the author gives a rhumb of the investiga- tion made by the Belgian Government as to the composition of the butter manu- factured in that country. The butter manufactured, in most cases under the supervision of an inspector, by fourteen co-operative dairies and thirty-three wholesale firms, representative of every part of Belgium, was analysed every fifteen days for a year (1897-98) by two different chemists. In the case of the fourteen co-operative dairies, 330 samples were analysecl between October, 1897, and October, 1898, and the following variations observed : Specific gravity, 0 864 to 0.8686 ; refractive index (Abbe-Zeiss), 40.2 to 46.7 ; Meissl value, 26.07 to 34-50 ; Hehner value, 85 to 89.65.During the same period 755 samples taken from the wholesale firms were analysed, with the following results : The results thus obtained were as follows : Specific gravity ... ... ... 0.8636 to 0,8684 Abbe-Zeiss index . . . 40 to 47 26 25.0 to 25.84 for 26 ,, for 16 ,, 23-08 to 23.84 for 9 ,, 19-8 to 23.0 for 11 ,, 85.25 to 89.0 for 609 ,, Hehner value ... 89.0 to 89.90 for 139 ,, for 7 ,, to 36:85 (one 40.35) for 693 samples. i *Meissl value ... 24.0 to 24.96 I 90.00 to 91.0 Similar investigations were also made with the butter from special districts, and with that of special firms which had given abnormal results, the analyses being continued to the beginning of 1900. The majority of these samples gave results analogous to the majority of those shown in the preceding tables, The Commission came to the conclusions that as a rule the butters giving abnormal figures were derived from small dairies ; that these abnormalities were of most frequent occurrence from August to December; and that they disappeared during the months of March, April, and May.c. A. M. The Detection of Cinnamic Acid in the Presence of Benzoic Acid. A. Jorissen. ( A m . de Chim. Anal., 1901, vi., 41-43.)-When cinnarnic acid is oxidized by a suitable reagent, it is converted into benzaldehyde, which can readily be recognised by its odour. In the case of official benzoic acid, 0.1 gramme is dissolved in 5 C.C. of boiling water, and 0.1 gramme of potassium perrnanganate added. A second test of the same kind is based on the combined action of uranium salts and light upon cinnamic acid. A few decigrammes of the sample are mixed with a few C.C. of a 5 per cent. solution of uranium acetate or nitrate, which are then exposed to the light in a stoppered flask. After soma minutes a brown deposit of uranous oxide (?) is formed, and the odour of benzaldehyde will be observed. C. A. M.104 THE ANALYST. Valuation of Jalap Tubers. 0. Schweissinger. (Pharm. C. El., 1901, x K , 1 ; through Chem. Zeit. Rep,, 1901, 14.)--Ten grammes of the finely-powdered roots are extracted with spirits of wine for twenty-four hours at a, temperature of 30" C., shaking at intervals. Fifty C.C. of the liquid are drawn off, and the solvent is evaporated. The resin is then washed with warm water as long as colouring-matter is removed, and the residue is dried. The results are concordant. F. H. L.