AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 91 



the writer's laboratory has shown that the numatis method 

 of extraction of the crude saltpetre is far from being econo- 

 mically sound, and could be greatly improved upon by some 

 simple variation of his present technique, which would, 

 however, probably depend upon co-operation with the Salt 

 Department in order to avoid infringement of the regula- 

 tions at present in force. An advantage offered by the 

 artificial method of producing saltpetre above referred to, 

 lies in the comparative freedom from contamination by salt 

 (sodium chloride) of the crude saltpetre resulting from this 

 method, thus avoiding to a great extent in the process of 

 extraction the restrictions necessarily imposed upon this 

 process by excise requirements, with a consequently higher 

 return of pure product to the advantage of the nuniah and 

 the trade. 



IV. Special Enquiries. 



Fermentation Organisms. Further work on alcohol 

 producing organisms, and upon various problems in con- 

 nection with Indian distilleries was carried out at the 

 request of the Departments of Excise in Bengal, Bihar and 

 Orissa, Assam and Central India, and of private firms in 

 various parts of India. Improved methods of obtaining 

 and utilizing yeast cultures of indigenous origin were 

 experimented with and gave promising results. Tne use of 

 mixed cultures of good types of S. cerevisice of Indian 

 origin was reported by the Commissioner of Excise for 

 Central India to have given an increased yield of some 20 

 per cent, in the Nowgong Distillery, and the method of re- 

 inoculation devised in this laboratory was found to give 

 considerably higher yields of alcohol in the same period of 

 time and should therefore be of value in avoiding the evil 

 effects of the acetic fermentation which generally sets in 

 towards the end of the process. 



Numerous other problems connected with fermentation 

 were studied, but it is clear that a good case exists for the 

 establishment of a special laboratory in India for the 

 investigation of such questions, both for the isolation of 



