39 



It is well known that starch grains do not swell or break up to any great 

 extent when heated in an air-dry condition at a temperature employed in 

 breadmaking by ordinary methods. Although bread is one of the oldest 

 and most widely used food preparations yet it is by no means to be consid- 

 ered ae an economical use of starch since the granules in the centre of a 

 loaf are practically unchanged and therefore digestible only with great 

 diflSculty. The desired changes do ensue to some extent in the crust, but 

 in prevailing methods of preparation, the proportion of the whole amount 

 of starch present made available for rapid digestion, is very small. 



As a result ot almost continuous work during the past year I have been 

 so fortunate as to develop a method by which, with the application of 

 heat to starch grains and to air-dry starch in many forms, the granules or 

 particles are expanded to many times their original dimensions, being 

 fractured into innumerable fragments during the process. As a result of 

 this treatment a grain of rice is expanded to eight or more times its ori- 

 ginal volume, while still retaining its original form. Other cereals ex- 

 hibit similar behaviour. The process is applicable to nearly all starchy 

 seeds and starcy substances, greatly increasing their nutritive availabilit7. 

 The products obtained are pleasant to the taste, and the process may be 

 varied to produce a great variety of flavours with any given cereal. 

 Furthermore, the material prepared in this manner is absolutely sterilized 

 and may be preserved or stored for long periods. I am led to hope from 

 the approval the products have met from food and chemical experts that 

 the process may prove of great economic and commercial value. 



The experiments by which this method was developed were begun at 

 Clemson College, South Carolina, in the spring of 1901, but no results of 

 any direct bearing upon the process mentioned were obtained at that time. 

 Upon my removal to Columbia University in August, 190 i, time was af- 

 forded me to resume the investigations, and in the Laboratories of the 

 New York Botanical Grarden every facility was given me for the prosecu- 

 tion of the work. I am indebted to the latter institution for the use of a 

 chemical laboratory which was placed at my disposal and for a plentiful 

 supply of material of all kinds as well as for encouragement and helpful 

 suggestions from the members of the staff. Journal of the New York Bota- 

 nical Garden, May, 1902. 



Dr. Alex. P. Anderson has resigned his position of curator of the herbari- 

 um of Columbia Univei-sity, and has taken up his duties as expert to the 

 syndicate now engaged in developing the new method of treating starchy 

 grains, etc , recently discovered by Dr. Anderson in the laboratories of the 

 Garden. Dr. Anderson is fitting up a special laboratory for the continu- 

 ance of his work at Minneapolis. {Journal, September, 1902). 



'I he U. S. Patent Office has granted Dr. A. P. Anderson letters patent 

 No. 707892, dated August 26, li)02, upon the "Art of treating Starch 

 Material." The product resulting from the application of this methods to 

 seeds and other starch materials are highly porous bodies which though 

 greatly enlarged preserve the shape and appearance of the original, and 

 being readily acted upon by the digested juices form valuable and econo- 

 mic foods. The products are also readily emulsified by water and other 

 liquids and lend themselves to use in the arts for sizing, pasting, etc. 

 The method in question is essentially distinguished from other pro- 

 cesses by being based upon the explosive action of the liquid contained 

 in air dry starch, and the principal features of the invention are set forth 

 in the twelve claims of the inventor as allowed in the grant. Dr Ander- 

 son's invention is based upon studies made in the laboratories in the Garden 



