AGKICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AGROTECHNY. 411 



A method for the exact determination of ash in vegetable and animal 

 matter, E. Fleukent and L. Levi (Compt. Rend. Acad. Sei. IParis]^ 152 

 (1911), No. 11, pp. 715-718). — Tlie authors found after making a comparative 

 study betw^een the Schloesing and the ash calcination methods with wheat, 

 barley, dried peas, white haricots, egg yolk, horse meat, etc., that these methods 

 furnish very variable results and do not compare well. This is due to three 

 factors, (1) a portion of the phosphorus is acted upon by the carbon and volatil- 

 ized, (2) another goes ofl' as a volatile compound with the fatty matters, and 

 (3) the acid phosphates of the ash are acted upon by the silica. 



They, therefore, propose a method which involves (1) the removal of the 

 fat in substances rich in fat, (2) the carbonizing in a platinum crucible at a 

 very low temperature, (3) pulverizing the mass contained in the crucible or 

 mixing it with milk of lime (0.04 to 0.5 gm. of calcium oxid for 10 gm. of 

 initial substance rich in phosphorus), and (4) 'evaporation to dryness accord- 

 ing to Schloesing's method. According to the authors, the method is easy and 

 does not involve any loss. 



In regard to the physiology of catalase and reductase, W. Palladia 

 (Dnevii. XII. S" iezda Russ. Est.-Isp. i Vrach. [Moscow], 1910, p. 17; abs. in 

 Zentbl. Biochcm-. u. Biophys., 10 (1910), No. 15-16, p. 7//6).— By autolyzing 

 zymin and wheat germs upon water a decrease in the catalytic activity takes 

 place. In the presence of NaoHP04 the catalytic power increases markedly, 

 while with KH2PO4 it weakens, and KaHPOi completely destroys it. The author 

 considers catalase and reductase anaerobic enzyms, buft draws attention to 

 the fact that the true enzyra nature of these bodies has not been established. 



Analysis of foods, R. Guillin (Atialyfies Alimetitaires. Paris, 1911, pp. 

 480, fiys. 87). — The work contains methods for the analysis of sugars, starch, 

 flour and pastry, beverages, fats, meats, conserves, coffee, tea, and chocolate, 

 spices, and waters, antiseptics, sweeteners, and laws in regard to food adul- 

 teration inspection. 



Biological methods for detecting horseflesh in pork products, Blanc 

 (Ann. Falsif., 3 (1910), No. 26, p. 516).— The author describes some of the 

 difficulties encountered with the usual biological methods and the manner of 

 procedure. 



The biological method for detecting horseflesh in pork products, G. Blanc 

 (Ann. Falsif., k (1911), No. 28, pp. J,9-52) .—This method, referred to in the 

 article noted above, is based on the fact that when a rabbit is injected in- 

 travenously with horse serum a precipitating reagent is produced. This 

 reagent when brought into contact in vitro with maceration extracts of horse- 

 flesh, or products containing horseflesh, produces a precipitate. It is specific 

 for all products coming from horseflesh. 



The methods of preparing the precipitating reagent and the technique for 

 making the test are given in detail. 



Composition of the ash of pickles, E. H. S. Bailet (Abs. in Science, n. ser., 

 33 (1911), No. 844, P- 345). — The author has made numerous analyses of the 

 ash of normal pickles for the pui'pose of judging pickle conserves in regard 

 to the addition of alum for hax'dening. 



The determination of starch sirup in plum marmalades, A. Beythien 

 (Ztschr. Untersuch. Nahr. u. Genussmtl., 21 (1911), No. 5, pp. 271-280).— The 

 author points out that it is incorrect when determining the starch sirup content 

 of plum jams and plum marmalades to deduct 21.5 from the speciflc rotation of 

 the inverted extract and then to utilize the table set up by Juckenack.<^ Fur- 



« Ztschr. Untersuch. Nahr. u. Genussmtl., 8 (1904), p. 32. 



