218 



C. U. C. p. ALUMNI JOURNAL 



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Conducted by Prof. George C. Diekman. 



Pink Color in Fats and Butter. 



A. W. Knapp, in Chem. Nezvs, 1916, 

 relates his observations as follows : It 

 is noted that margarine fats, upon ex- 

 posure to air in laboratories frequently 

 assume a pink color. This is most like- 

 ly due to the presence of an azo dye. 

 very likely di-methyl-amino-azo-benzene.. 

 commonly known as "butter yellow." 

 It is well known that this dyestuff is 

 very sensitive to acid and alkaline va- 

 pors, such as abound in most labora- 

 tories. In order to detect such coloring 

 matter in butter or margarine, or other 

 fats, the fat is liquefied, filtered, and 

 allowed to solidify in a small beaker, or 

 other convenient laboratory utensil. A 

 crystallizing dish is provided and a filter 

 saturated with strong hydrochloric acid 

 is placed on the bottom, and upon this 

 is placed the beaker containing the fat 

 The whole is carefully covered and left 

 to stand for two hours or longer, when 

 if such coloring n:atter be present a pink 

 color, gradually dififusing downward 

 from the surface of the fatty substance 

 will be noted. The rapidity of the dif- 

 fusion, and the depth to which it ex- 

 tends will be a measure of the quantity 

 of coloring matter present. In one case 

 under observation, where the quantity 

 of coloring matter present in the butter 

 used was known to be o.oi per cent., the 

 pink layer had dififused 1/16 inch in 24 

 hours, 1/2 inch in 48 hours, and 2 inches 

 in 49 days. 



Calcium Acetylsalicylate. 



Molecular quantities of acetylsalicylic 

 acid and calcium hydroxide are mixed 

 intimately in a dry condition. The mix- 

 ture is then treated wnth either alcohol, 

 ethyl acetate, or acetone and triturated 

 until it is completely soluble in water. 

 The solvent is subsequently removed and 

 the resulting dry mass consisting of 

 calciunij acetylsalicylate is broken up and 

 powdered. It is necessary to subse- 

 quently extract with ether until the 

 product is neutral. (J. A. Wulfing. 

 Berlin, igi6; Patent.) 



Volatile Oil of Euthamia Caroliniana. 



According to G. A. Russell, in the 

 Journal American Chemical Society, 83 

 kilos of Euthamia caroliniana (L.) 

 Greene, obtained from Florida, just pre- 

 vious to flowering, yielded, upon distilla- 

 tion, 576 grammes of a volatile oil. The 

 oil is pale yellow in color and possesses 

 a pleasant aromatic odor. Its density 

 was found to be 0.8587 at 23° C. Upon 

 examination it shows the presence of 

 dipentene in considerable amount, with 

 a trace of pinene and possibly of limo- 

 nene. It also contains about 10 per cent 

 of a laevo-rotatory body of high density, 

 which has, as yet, not been identified 

 The oil also was shown to contain 5.35 

 per cent, of free alcohols, and a smaller 

 quantity of combined ones. Aldehyde.= 

 in small quantity were found present 

 free acids or phenols were, however, not 

 found. The oil is soluble in 6 volumes 



