124 
old, moldy copra. A definite volume of distilled water was then added 
to each, and all were allowed to stand for one week at room temperature 
(25°-80° C.) and for the same length of time in an incubator at about 
35° C., the tubes being opened every morning and any change in odor or 
appearance noted, After two weeks the whole series was dried, weighed, 
the oil extracted with chloroform, and its acidity determined. 
No. 7 No.2. | No.8. | No.4. | No.5. | No.6. | No.7. | No.8 | No.9. 
) > eee aaa | | 2s a ee 
Weight of dry | | 
COM .....-=. 10, 00 | 10. 00 10, 00 | 10, 00 10.00 | 10.00 10. 00 10.00 | 10.00 
Weightof water | 
added ____---- 0. 00 0. 50 1.00 1.50 2.00 | 3. 00 5.00 | 7.00 | 10,00 
Percentage | 
moisture ____. 0,00 | 4.76 9. 09 13. 04 16, 67 23. 08 33. 33 41.18 | 50.00 
Weight of dry | 
copra at end | 
of experi- 
TGR ones can 10. 00 9.99 9. 70 9. 20 9. 30 9.10 9, 20 | 8.97 9.15 
Gain (-+) or | 
loss (—)------ 0.00 | —0.01 —0.30 | —0.80| —0.70| —0.90| -—0.80 | —1.03 | —0,85 
Weight of oil __| 6.79 6.77 6.61 6. 64 6. 68 6, 82 6.78 | 6.67 6.84 
Gain (+) or | | 
load (=) 0.00} —0.02 | —0.18| —0.15) —0.11 | (+0.03)| —0.01 | —0.12 |(+0.05) | 
Gain (+) or | | 
loss (—) of | | 
substances | 
other than | | | 
pile. .08e 4 0.00 | (+0.01)} --0.12| —0.65 | —0.59) —0.93| —0.79/ —0.91/ —0.90 | 
Percentage | 
free acid __... 0.15 0.18 8.7 5.2 3.9 0. 46 3.0 | 6.1 | 2.9 
| | 
Nos. 1 and 2 remained unchanged in appearance and odor throughout the experi- 
ment. Nos. 3, 4, and 5 developed a slight mold growth and a peculiar ethereal 
odor, not especially unpleasant except in the case of No. 5. No. 6 showed no 
mold growth but turned much darker than the others and almost from the start 
possessed a very disagreeable odor. Nos. 7, 8, and 9 soon developed a sour smell, 
which, however, was not so unpleasant as that of No. 6, but they showed no 
mold until they had been placed in the incubator, when Nos. 7 and 8 became 
covered with a vigorous white growth with numerous patches of red." No. 9 
remained unchanged in appearance. 
The percentage of free acid in the oil here seems very closely to follow 
the appearance of a visible mold growth in the copra, being at a 
maximum in No. 3, where the mold first makes its appearance, decreasing 
slowly, with added moisture, up to No. 6 (no mold growth in evidence), 
increasing again in Nos. 7 and 8 (reappearance of mold growth). 
As might be expected in an experiment of so short a duration, the loss 
in total weight of oil was in no case large, but it was sufficiently marked 
to show that it also chiefly took place in those tubes which contained a 
* Subsequent experiments indicate that this growth in Nos. 7 and 8 was due 
to a loss of moisture while in the incubator. 
