612 



EXPEEIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Polenske value, 0.78, 1.08; elai'din reaction, positive. Exposure of the oil for 

 6 months (in daylight) to moist air increased the acid value but lowered the 

 iodin value. Pure oxygen both in the absence and presence of moisture had 

 no influence on the iodin value." 



Valuation of tea, A. A. Besson (Chem. Ztg., 35 {1911), Nos. 88, pp. 813- 

 815; 90, pp. 830-832; ais. in Analyst, 36 (1911), No. 426, p. 45//).— These are 

 the results of examining about 90 samples of tea, 43 of which were Chinese 

 tea, while the remainder were from Ceylon, Java, and India. In the investi- 

 gation particular stress was placed upon tlie stem or stalk content of the 

 samples, but the work shows that very little relation exists between the 

 amount of stalk and the price and quality of the tea as determined by the 

 tasting test. It was noted, however, that Java, tea which is grown at an alti- 

 tude of 4,500 ft. was much better in quality than tliat grown at an altitude of 

 1,800 ft. 



Analyses of 90 samjyles of tea. 



Kind of tea. 



Moisture. 



Stalk. 



Ash. 



Caffein. 



Chinese green tea. 

 Chinese Foochow 

 Chinese Hankow. 



Ceylon tea 



Indian tea 



Java tea 



Per cent. 

 6.00- 7.69 

 6.29- 9.06 

 6.4S- 8.33 

 4.57- 8.12 

 4.0O- 8.08 

 8.2-3-10.50 



Per cent. 

 0.4- 5.3 

 4.1-17.5 

 8.6-17.1 

 5.^43.4 

 11.5-37.4 

 4.4-29.9 



Per cent. 

 4.88-7.46 

 4.80-5.73 

 4.95-5.65 

 4.54-5.65 

 4.72-5.64 

 5.53-7.32 



Per cent. 

 2.13-3.22 

 2.23-3.64 

 2.65-3.64 

 2.80^.10 

 3.31-4.19 

 2.22^.54 



Researches on the nature of enzym action. — II, The synthetic properties of 

 antiemulsin, W. M. Bayliss (Jour. Physiol, J,3 (1912), No. 6, pP- .'io5-/,66) .— 

 " The intraperitoneal injection of emulsin does not give rise to the production 

 of any true antienzym. altliough precipitins for the proteins contained in the 

 solution are produced. The inhibitory action of such immune serum on the 

 action of emulsin in vitro is no greatei^than tliat of normal serum, as was also 

 found by Coca, and is merely due to diminution of the optimal acidity. Neither 

 noiuial nor immune serum is capable of sjaithetic action. Emulsin, on the other 

 hand, will synthesize lactose and also the glucosid of glycerol. This synthesis 

 by the enzym is retarded by the presence of serum, presumably owing to 

 diminution of acid reaction. Incidentally it is shown that emulsin is not of 

 protein nature." 



The determination of crude fiber in finely powdered materials, W. Greifen- 

 HAGEN (Ztsehr. Untersuch. Nahr. u. Gemissmtl., 23 (1912), No. 3, pp. 101. 102).— 

 The determination of crude fiber in materials like powdered cotton seed, cocoa, 

 etc., by the Konig method presents several difficulties, notably as to the time 

 required for the filtration process. The author recommends the use of a 

 Buchuer nutsche apparatus, 10.5 cm. in diameter, which contains a thin layer 

 of asbestos fiber to serve as a filter, or, if a nutsche is not obtainable, a per- 

 forated porcelain plate may be substituted in filtering the undiluted hot fluid. 

 The residue can be washed on the filter without any trouble. The author was 

 able in a period of 2 hours to make 8 crude fiber determinations. 



In reg'ard to the determination of lecithin, P. Salzman (Apoth. Ztg., 26 

 (1911), No. 91, p. 949; o&s. in Chem. Ztg., 36 (1912), No. 9, Bepert., p. 37).—- 

 Glikin's method (E. S. R., 22, p. 410) was found to give the best results. 



The flocculation of lecithin and lecithin protein mixtures with acids, 

 J. Feinschmidt (Biochem. Ztsehr., 38 (1912), No. 3-4, pp. 244-251). — Aqueous 

 suspensions of lecithin preparations possess optimum flocculation points in a 

 definite hydrogen ion concentration. This concentration is a very strong acid 



