K. DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 465 



the experiments which he has made, as to whether this proc- 

 ess alters in any way the flavor of the wine the test being 

 made with twenty-four varieties of wine, a portion of each 

 kept in its original condition, and another portion subjected 

 to the Pasteur process. As a general result, he finds tbat in 

 every instance, besides the preservation of the heated wine 

 from the deteriorating changes generally experienced by 

 other samples, the flavor was actually improved, the usual 

 effect of age being manifest in a much shorter period than 

 usual. 6 B, August 5, 1872, 303. 



RECOVERY OF WASTE CAFFEIN. 



Mr. Thomson suggests the propriety of collecting the large 

 percentage of caffein exhaled in the process of roasting. He 

 says that 75 grains can be obtained from one pound of coffee, 

 which would amount to 140 tons of caffein from the coffee con- 

 sumed in Great Britain. Caffein being absolutely insoluble 

 in a concentrated solution of carbonate of soda, the latter is 

 quite convenient for its separation. 8C 7 , Jffay, 1872, 202. 



POISONOUS VANILLA CREAM. 



It has been occasionally observed that the eating of va- 

 nilla ice-cream proves injurious, and produces symptoms of 

 actual poisoning. A careful examination in such instances 

 has failed to bring to light any deleterious substance, as 

 traces of tin and iron from the vessels used are entirely 

 harmless when in combination with lactic acid. Mr. Schroff 

 advances the opinion that the oil of acajou, with which the 

 vanilla beans are impregnated in Mexico and South America, 

 contains an acrid ingredient somewhat like cantharides, and 

 that this may be considered the active principle. This opin- 

 ion derives some probability from the fact that evil effects 

 from the consumption of fruit-ices have never been observed. 

 15(7, May, 1872, 155. 



ARTIFICIAL BUTTER. 



A method of making artificial butter, announced in a French 

 journal, consists in placing beef suet cut small in water of 

 about 11 3 Fahr., together with carbonate of potassa and fresh 

 sheeps' stomachs shredded into small slices. The fatty mat- 

 ter which separates and floats on the water is subjected to 



U2 



