340 KiRKWOOD AND GiES : Chemical Studies 



The harder fats of the oil make excellent candles. They are 

 used also as constituents for suppositories and related therapeutic 

 products. Medicinally the oil is employed repeatedly as a substi- 

 tute for lard, ohve oil and cod-liver oil. It is also made the chief 

 substance by bulk in various salves and in cold cream, pomade and 

 similar cosmetic preparations. In ointments and cerates it is 

 especially valuable because of its ready absorption when rubbed 

 on the surface of the body ; further, it takes up an unusual amount 

 of water — a useful quality when it is desired to apply saline solu- 

 tions externally. It shows little tendency to produce chemical 

 changes in substances with which it may be associated. 



Crude Fiber and Carbohydrates. — Cellulose is a prominent con- 

 stituent of the endosperm. Associated with the fibrous elements 

 is a polysaccharide, present in comparatively large quantity. This 

 substance is only slightly soluble in water, is insoluble in alcohol, 

 but readily soluble in salt solution. It is precipitated along with 

 globulin when saline extracts of the kernel are dialyzed ( page 

 341). The gum is readily transformed into sugar by the action 

 of diastase or ptyalin. 



The fluid pressed from the finely divided endosperm contains 

 a slight amount of reducing sugar — dextrose. Galactose appears 

 to have been identified also.* Cane-sugar is also present. 



The following results were obtained in our determinations of 

 the percentage content of crude fiber in the fresh tissue : f 



12 345 General Average. 



Fresh endosperm, a 3.96 3.20 2.98 3.40 2.78 



b a,.ii 3.80 3.12 3.52 2.98 



Average, 4.08 3.50 3.05 3.46 2.88 3.39 



Proteids. — That the meat of the cocoanut contains at most 

 only a very small amount of proteid matter is seen at a glance 

 from the following percentage results for content of nitrogen. | 



Water. Fatty Acid. Sodium Oxide (combined). Sodium Oxide (free). Other Salts. Residue. 

 58.74 . 32.82 4.26 1.50 2.26 0.42 



See also the Dispensatory of the United States of America, 1899 : 1619, for ref- 

 erences to objectionable chemical qualities of some cocoa-soaps. 



* Green: Soluble Ferments and Fermentation, 100. 1899. 



■\ Determinations were made, after the fresh weighed material had been dried and 

 thoroughly extracted with ether, by the method adopted by the Association of Official 

 Agricultural Chemists : Bulletin, Division of Chemistry, U. S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture, 46 : 26. 



% In these determinations the Kjeldahl method was employed. 



