K. DOMESTIC AND HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY. 443 



should not be made. Although it might be possible, as the 

 table suggests, to extract all the bitter principles by repeat- 

 ed shaking with benzine, so that the chloroform extract would 

 manifest no reaction, this course would only be of practical 

 value when very small quantities of the substances are in- 

 volved ; and since several of them can be much more readily 

 separated in the chloroform extract, on account of the action 

 of ether on that residuum, the repeated shaking with benzine 

 should only be employed when there is reason to suspect, 

 from the preliminary investigation, the presence of a small 

 quantity of a particular adulteration. 18 (7, Dec. 31,1873,826. 



USE OF SULPHITE OF SODA IX DISTILLERIES. 



It is stated, as the result of numerous experiments, that the 

 employment of sulphite of soda, or, better still, the bisulphite, 

 in steeping grain in distilleries, increases the product as much 

 as the aqueous solution of sulphurous acid, without, at the 

 same time, imparting the unpleasant flavor which so materi- 

 ally affects the price. 18 (7, December 31, 1873, 831. 



MODE OF TESTING BUTTER FOR ADULTERATION. 



The method adopted by Hoorn for testing butter for adul- 

 terations differs somewhat from that of Dr. Brown. He em- 

 ploys a glass tube about eight inches long, and eight tenths 

 of an inch in diameter for two thirds of its length, narrower 

 and divided into tenths of a cubic centimeter for the other 

 third, and closed at the narrow end. Into the tube are intro- 

 duced 150 grains of butter, melted by means of warm water; 

 30 cubic centimeters of light petroleum-oil are added, and the 

 tube is shaken vigorously and set aside. In thirty to forty 

 minutes the petroleum becomes perfectly clear, and contains 

 all the fatty matters in solution. The other constituents of 

 the butter collect in the narrow part of the tube, and their 

 volume may easily be read off. For more exact determina- 

 tions the fatty layer is poured off, and the residue again 

 treated with a fresh portion of petroleum ; the whole being 

 allowed to stand for two to three hours. Good butter con- 

 tains from 10 to 14 per cent., adulterated butter as much as 

 40 per cent, of impurities, generally water. After separating 

 the petroleum, the undissolved portion may be tested for 

 flour, potato-starch, etc. The fatty solution is tested by evap- 



