AGEICULTUKAL CHEMISTRY — AGEOTECHNY. 709 



be obtained." " Tribarium inosit hexaphosphate, C8Hi2024P8Ba3, [was] obtained 

 as minute bundles or globules of mici'oscopic needles from dilute hydrochloric 

 acid solutions by the addition of alcohol, and heptabarium inosit hexaphosphate 

 (C6Hii02iPa)2Ba7, or Ci2H22048Pi2Ba7, which separated from dilute hydrochloric 

 acid solutions in the pi'esence of barium chlorid in globular masses of needle- 

 shaped crystals. The free acid prepared from the crystalline barium salts 

 agrees more closely in composition with inosit hexaphosphate, CoHisOj^Pe, than 

 with the usual formula for phytic acid, C6H24O27P8. . . 



" The spontaneous decomposition products of phytic acid under ordinary con- 

 ditions which are formed within a reasonable length of time appear to be 

 phosphoric acid and substances which contain more carbon and less phosphorus 

 than phytic acid, which substances are probably penta-, tetra-, etc., phosphoric 

 acid esters of inosit. When phytic acid is dried at a temperature of 105° C, 

 under reduced pressure, it rapidly decomposes with liberation of inorganic 

 phosphoric acid and the formation of various decomposition products, consist- 

 ing of inosit and substances varying in composition from inosit tetraphosphate to 

 inosit monophosphate. When the crystalline barium salts are dried at 105° 

 under reduced pressure they suffer but slight hydrolysis. Under ordinary condi- 

 tions the dry salts are comparatively stable but on longer keeping small quan- 

 tities of inorganic phosphoric acid are liberated." 



The glycerotriphosphoric acid of Contardi, P. CABEfi (Bui. Soc. Chim. 

 France, 4. ser., 13 (WIS), No. 2, pp. 66-69).— The theory of Contardi that one 

 molecule of glycerol reacts with three molecules of phosphoric acid to form 

 quantitatively one molecule of C3H5(H2P04)3 is deemed incorrect. The products 

 are said to be CsH50H(H2P04)3, C3H6(OH)2(H2P04), and a di-ester of the type 

 C3H5(OH)HP04. 



Preparation, composition, and properties of caseinates of magnesium, 

 L. L. Van Slyke and O. B. Winter {Netv York State Sta. Tech. Bui. 33 {1914), 

 pp. 3-7). — Continuing previous work by the senior author and Bosworth (E. S. 

 R., 29, p. 9) a study was made of the compounds formed by casein with mag- 

 nesium. 



" In preparing magnesium caseinates, the solution of casein in magnesium 

 hydrosid was effected by suspending pure casein in water with an excess of 

 finely-divided magnesium oxid, allowing the mixture to stand several days with 

 occasional agitation. 



" The magnesium hydroxid solution of casein [was] made neutral to phenolph- 

 thalein with HCl and the solution dialyzed and evaporated to dryness. The 

 preparation contained 1.06 per cent Mg (1.76 MgO), the theoretical composi- 

 tion being 1.09 per cent Mg (1.81 MgO) ; or 1 gm. of casein combined with 

 8.7 X 10-* gm. equivalents of Mg (theoretical, 9X10-*). The compound [was] 

 easily soluble in water and in a 5 per cent solution of NaCl. 



" The magnesium hydroxid solution [was] made neutral to litmus with HCl 

 and the solution dialyzed and the caseinate precipitated with alcohol. The 

 preparation contained 0.71 per cent Mg (1.18 MgO), the theoretical composition 

 being 0.67 i)er cent Mg(1.12 MgO) ; or 1 gm. of casein combined with 5.8 X 10-* 

 gm. equivalents of Mg (theoretical, 5.6X10-*). The compound is easily soluble 

 in water and in a 5 per cent solution of NaCl. 



" A solution of base-free casein in magnesium hydroxid was treated with HCl 

 just to the first point of precipitation and then dialyzed. Alternate addition of 

 acid and dialysis [were] repeated, until finally the dialyzed solution formed a 

 permanent precipitate on the addition of any acid. To this solution [was] 

 added one-third of the amount of acid required for complete precipitation of the 

 casein, the solution filtered and dialyzed and divided into two portions. One 



