CHEMISTRY. !»1!) 



On the volatile and insoluble fatty acids in butter, E. Hen- 

 riques (Chem. Rev. Fett u. Harzind., 5 (1898), X<>. 9, pp. 109-172: abs. 



in Analyst, 21 (18!)!)), Jan., p. 7). — The author investigated several sam- 

 ples of pure butter unusually low in volatile fatty acids, with the idea 

 of devising a method for distinguishing these butters from mixed but- 

 ters. The method is based on the differences in the actual quantity 

 and the average molecular weight of the volatile and nonvolatile fatty 

 acids. The results, however, show that butters with a normal Reichert- 

 Meissl number contained 5 to G per cent volatile fatty acids, those with 

 an abnormal 4 to 5 per cent, the average molecular weight of which 

 varied from 93.3 to 90.8; hence the results have but a negative value 

 for analytical practice.. With regard to the insoluble fatty acids, the 

 Ilehner number ranged between 80.5 and 89.1 for normal and 88.9G to 

 90.68 for abnormal butters; but a difficulty arose in the estimation of 

 the average molecular weight in that the values found on drying at 

 105 to 110° C. (viz, 267 to 270) differed from those (250.3 to 203) obtained 

 when the drying was effected at the ordinary temperature in a vacuum 

 desiccator. 



The author, however, considers that assuming butter to contain a 

 large proportion of oleic acid, the above figures indicate that a consid- 

 erable amount of an acid of lower molecular weight than palmitic acid 

 is present; and that by isolating this acid and separating the unsatu- 

 rated from the saturated acids it is not improbable, provided the 

 assumption of a low average molecular weight for this undetected acid 

 be found correct, that the presence of -extraneous fats in butter maybe 

 discovered by the relatively higher molecular weight of the saturated 

 acids they contain. 



Chemical division of the Rhode Island Station, H. J. Wheeler, 

 {Rhode Island Sta. Rpt. 1897, pp. 166-176). — This is a summary account 

 of the work of the chemical division of the station during 1897 in the 

 following lines: Fertilizer inspection, studies of methods of analysis, 

 special chemical investigations, field and pot experiments, experiments 

 in culture under glass, etc.; and analyses of miscellaneous materials, 

 including mixed fertilizers, muriate of potash, calcined sulphate of 

 potash and magnesia, carbonate of potash and magnesia, carbonate of 

 potash, nitrate of potash, carbonate of soda, dried blood, dissolved 

 boueblack, dissolved bone, double superphosphate, dissolved phos- 

 phatic rock, Thomas slag, sulphate of ammonia, waste lime from soda- 

 ash works, lime, magnesium sulphate, floats, fine ground bone, tankage, 

 and water. 



Third International Congress of Applied Chemistry (Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc, 21 

 (1S99\ No 1, pp. 73-10%), — This is a brief report of the congress held in Vienna, 

 July 27 to August 4, 189S. It gives a list of the papers read, with abstracts in some 

 cases and notes on the discussion ; and an account of the excursions and scientific 

 visits, with short descriptions of the institutions and laboratories visited. 



Glycollic acid, one of the acids of sugar cane, E. C. Shokey (Jour. Amer. Chem. 

 Soc, '21 {1899), No. 1, pp. 45-50).— In a previous paper (E. S. R., 9, p. 721) the author 



