OF THE Cocoa NUT during Germination 



329 



On standing the milk turns sour, becomes thicker, and has 

 much the odor and pliysical appearance of soured cow's milk. 

 The milk ferments readily. As it does so the acidity increases 

 with a production of acid from the sugar. Alcohols are also pro- 

 duced in the process. The distillate from the fermented milk has 

 an agreeable taste and an alcoholic odor.* 



Chlorides are prominent with phosphates among the inorganic 

 substances of the milk. It contains only a very small quantity 

 of proteid, coagulating above 80° C, and also traces of a proteose- 

 like body. Very faint biuret and xanthoproteic reactions were 

 obtainable with the fresh fluid. A snow-white precipitate consist- 



General Composition of the Mu.k 



ing in part of earthy phosphate is obtained on warming the milk 

 on the water-bath at 70° C. The filtrate from this product when 

 boiled yields a delicate turbidity of coagulated proteid which be- 

 comes flocculent on addition of a slight excess of acetic acid. 

 The filtrate from this coagulum gives only a very faint biuret re- 

 action. Cocoanut milk is said to contain malate of lime.t 



*Cocoa beer, containing 3.4 per cent. "Extractive," has been made by Calmette : 

 Chemisches Centralblatt, 2 : 394. 1894. 



t Harley and Harley : Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, 43 : 464. 

 1887-88. 



