12 



C. U. C. P. ALUMNI JOURNAL 



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Conducted by Prof. George C. Diekman. 



The Detection of Kapok Oil 

 (Kapokoel) . 



This has lately hecome an important 

 article of commerce, and is said to 

 possess food value. The resorcin- 

 benzol reaction of Beltier shows nega- 

 tive results. The Halphen reaction is 

 positive, as in cotton-seed oil, even more 

 intensified, as small amounts as 0.50% 

 can be detected with ease and certainty. 



A. Besson (Chem. Ztg., 39-1915-982) 

 reports on a method for the difit'erentia- 

 tion between cotton-seed and kapok oils 

 by means of the Milliau method, as fol- 

 lows : 



A chloroformic solution of the oil is 

 treated with a 2 per cent, solution of 

 silver nitrate in absolute alcohol. Kapok 

 oil at once assumes a deep coffee-brown 

 color, while cotton-seed oil assumes a 

 much lighter brown color, and this only- 

 after a lapse of time. The quantity of 

 oil emplo}ed and the quantity of the al- 

 cohol solution of silver nitrate added 

 must be carefully controlled. 



The same test applied to the fatty 

 acids obtained from cotton-seed and 

 kapok oils respectively respond to this 

 even more readily than do the oils. 

 0.10% of kapok oil being detected with 

 certainty. 



Aqua Chlofoformi Mentholata. 



jMenthol 0.05. 



Chloroform water, q. s. 



Distilled water 50.00. 



Peppermint water 50.00. 



The menthol is dissolved in as much 

 chloroform as is required to make 50 

 gm. of chloroform water. The distilled 

 water and peppermint water are then 

 added, in portions, with vigorous shak- 

 ing. 



Valuation of Rhubarb. 



A. Tschirch and M. Ruzzkowski, re- 

 port upon the value of samples of rhu- 

 barb obtained from the Altai mountains. 

 They succeeded in isolating the follow- 

 ing named bodies: (i) The glucoside 

 rhaponticin, which upon hydrolysis splits 

 into d-glucose and rhapontigenin. (2) 

 Methoxy chrysophanic acid, melting 

 point, 175°. This acid was decomposed 

 into chrysophanic acid and emodin mono- 

 methyl ether. (3) Emodin, possessing 

 a melting point of 250°. (4) Two glu- 

 coside groups, (a) Tanno-glucoside and 

 (b) Anthraglucoside. Oxidation of 

 these resulted in the production of 

 rheum-red and rheonigrin. (5) d- 

 glucose. Valuation of these samples of 

 rhubarb by the Tschirch method showed 

 the presence of 3.20% of oxy-methyl 

 anthrachinon. and they therefore meet 

 all requirements. 



Volatile Oil in Cacao Beans. 



S. H*. Davis and J. S. Bainbridge made 

 investigations concerning the volatile-oil 

 content of cacao beans. From 2 kilos of 

 the beans, by steam distillation, they suc- 

 ceeded in obtaining 24 cc. of volatile 



