190 Sanitary Stiidies of Baking PiDwders 



corrected proofs of the four preceding papers (2-5) ; and suggested 

 that such further comment as any of the authors might wish to pub- 

 hsh be forwarded to me for inclusion here. I wrote to each as 

 follows : 



" I am sending you herewith a corrected copy of the proofs of four 

 papers on our aluminium research, pertaining to relative efficiency of 

 analytic methods, and, accordingly, make known to you the names of 

 your associates, in the first phase of the work, and the results obtained 

 by each. I am also forwarding to you a copy of the opening paragraph 

 of my comment, on the general outcome of this part of the work, to 

 appear in a note following your four papers in the Biochemical 

 Bulletin, Please read each paper critically and forward to me, at 

 once if possible, such further comment as you may wish to publish on 

 this subject, for inclusion, over your signature, in the body of my con- 

 cluding remarks in this relation. If you have nothing to add, please 

 let me know. A copy of this letter goes with this mail to each of your 

 associates." 



In reply to these suggestions, Howe, and Hawk ( for Smith and 

 Hawk), stated that they had nothing to add. Further comment 

 was offered by Steel, and Curtman and Gross, as follows :^ 



DiscussiON BY Matthew Steel. Smith and Hawk, and Howe, 

 obtained results with Steel's modified A. O. A. C. method that were 

 slightly lower than the results they obtained with the Schmidt-Hoag- 

 land method, but their results do not depart farther from the theo- 

 retical than one might expect for two different analysts. Messrs. 

 Curtman and Gross, however, obtained results with Steel's method 

 that were low enough to require special discussion. 



The low results obtained by these investigators may have been due 

 to the following causes : 



1. The large quantity used for analysis. Experience has shown 

 that the most accurate results are obtained when the combined phos- 

 phates do not weigh much more than 100 mg., whereas Curtman and 

 Gross used three or four times this quantity. 



2. The temp. of ignition may have been too high. The author 

 recommends the following technique : The moist filter paper containing 

 the precipitate should be carefully folded and put in a tared, fused, 

 silica crucible and placed, without cover, on an asbestos-centered wire- 



5 The authors affected have not been made aware of the nature of this 

 comment. 



