ETHYL ALCOHOL . -Ji 



calcium and magnesium salt of inositol phosphoric acid which 

 is a condensation compound of inositol with six molecules of 

 phosphoric acid.* 



Phytin occurs especially in seeds ; Arbenz t gives the 

 following percentages of phytin, calculated as phytic acid, 

 of the dry weight : Rice bran, 4-232 ; rice flour, o-2i6 ; wheat 

 bran, 5-073 ; whole meal, 0-572 ; wheat flour, 0-208 ; maize 

 flour, 0-857 ; lentils, 0-326 ; peas, 0-561 ; oatmeal, 0-506 ; 

 cocoa, 2-230. In vegetative organs it would appear to be 

 absent for none was found in carrots, turnips, cauliflour, 

 cabbage, spinach, and asparagus ; also none was found in 

 apples, pears, and figs. 



According to Posternak,$ a large amount, 80-90 per cent, 

 of the phosphorus of certain seeds exists in the form of phytin ; 

 it occurs, for instance, in the globoid portion of aleurone grains, 

 and the seeds, which contain it also possess an appropriate 

 enzyme phytase for its decomposition into phosphoric acid 

 and inositol. § 



Quebrachitol is the name given to a monomethyl ether of 

 inositol which occurs together with this substance in rubber 

 latex. 



MANUFACTURE OF ETHYL ALCOHOL. 



The action of yeast on sugar is made use of in the manu- 

 facture of ethyl alcohol, which substance is prepared from 

 potatoes, rice, and other grains rich in starch. The manu- 

 facture from potatoes is carried out as follows : Potatoes are 

 heated in closed vessels to 125-135° by means of super- 

 heated steam under a pressure of about 3 atmospheres ; by 

 suddenly releasing the pressure the potatoes are burst, and 

 are thus obtained in a finely divided state. The whole mass 

 is then thoroughly stirred up with malt at a temperature of 



* Cf. Neuberg : " Biochem. Zeit.," 1908, 9, 557 ; 1914. 6'. 187 ; Winter- 

 stein : " Zeit. phvsiol. Chem.," 1908, 50, 118. See also Plimmer : " Bio- 

 chem. Journ.." 1913, 7, 43 ; Boutwell : " J. Amer. Chem. Soc," 1917, 39, 

 491 ; Posternak : " Compt. rend.," 1919. i69» 37. 138- 



t Arbenz : " Chem. Zentr.," 1922, 93, iv., 67. 



J Posternak : " Compt. rend.," 1903, 137. 202. 337, 439. 



§Cf. Suzuki, Yoshimura, and Takaishi : " Bull. Coll. Agric, Tokyo," 

 1907, 7, 503. See also Rose : " Biochem. Bull.," 1912, I, 428. 



