226 Biochemical News, Notes, and Comment 



Comparison of methods for the determination of casein in milk. 

 Though the official nitrogen method is the Standard of accuracy for 

 the determ. of casein in milk, the results show that, for all ordinary 

 work, the Hart method with electric centrifuge is dependable, check- 

 ing very closely the official method, and is far superior to the Volu- 

 metrie method. As to the time required by the three methods, the 

 official is longest in total time, with about the same time required in 

 personal attention as the Van Slyke method. The Hart method re- 

 quires, however, but a small fractionof the time of the other methods 

 and has the added advantage of requiring neither exactly Standard 

 Solutions nor final calculation of results. C. B. Hersey : Jour. Ind. 

 and Eng. Chem., 1916, viii, p. 336. 



Use of paper pulp in quantitative analysis. The application of 

 the pulp filter to the quant. estim. of barium and sulfuric acid as 

 barium sulfate, of silver and hydrochloric acid as silver chlorid, and 

 of potassium and ammonium as chlorplatinates, has been shown to 

 give results as accurate as those obtained with Standard filter paper. 

 It is convenient and easy to handle, when applied to the quant. 

 determ. of the above acids and bases, and enables one to save con- 

 siderable time and labor. S. L. Jodidi and H. E. Kellogg: Jour. 

 Ind. and Eng. Chem., 1916, viii, p. 319. (See also Biochem. Bull., 

 1916, V, p. 87.) 



Electrica! treatment of water. The gases produced (by electr. 

 action on water) kill a large number of microorganisms, but to kill 

 them all the conditions of the exper. must be such as to bring all the 

 organisms into contact with the gas. I should think it possible that 

 some scheme might be devised whereby efficient treatment could be 

 imparted without relying upon the action of Sedimentation. This 

 settling action is undoubtedly an important factor to be dealt with, 

 and if it is feasible to combine the effects of the gases and the 

 effects of Sedimentation into a working scheme, the results could be 

 absolutely relied upon. The action of electr. pure and simple is 

 useless. T. A. Starkey: Amer. Med., 1916, xxii, p. 187. 



Manufacture of gasoline and bencene-toluene from petroleum 

 and other hydrocarhons. The large-scale exper. have fully con- 

 firmed the lab. exper. and established the fact that the conversion into 

 gasoline can be even more satisfactorily accomplished in a tube of 



