CHEMISTRY. 221 



substance extracted with ether is treated at ordinary temperature with 

 dilute acid (HC1) and ammonia, previous treatment with malt extract 

 being employed in case of materials rich in starch. The extraction with 

 acid and ammonia is made as exhaustive as possible, preferably by suc- 

 cessive treatment and decanting or siphoning off the liquid. The resi- 

 due is treated without drying with 5 or (5 per cent sodium hydrate for 

 one or two days, being frequently stirred, the solution diluted, allowed 

 to settle and then decanted or siphoned off. This sodium-hydrate 

 extract is neutralized with hydrochloric acid, plenty of alcohol added, 

 and the precipitate (hemicellulose) collected on a filter, dried, and 

 weighed. The residue from the extraction with sodium hydrate is 

 washed on a filter with hot water, treated with Schweizers' reagent, 

 and the extract precipitated with alcohol as above, giving cellulose. 

 The insoluble residue (woody substance or lignin) is washed, dried, 

 and weighed. It is recommended to wash each of the •'! products with 

 ammonia to prevent charring during drying. 

 The following table gives the results of several determinations: 



Cellulose-like carbohydrate* in feeding stuffs. 



Hemicellu- 

 lose (pen- Cellulose. Liguin. 



I uses). 



Per cent. 



j L7.58 



Wheat bran \ 1.5.85 



2.25 



Linseed cake j 



( Trace. 



Cake from seed of Camelina nativa ^ Trace. 



t. i ... 16. 80 



live bran ,,, 



Rape-seed cake ;, . .; 



Hemp-seed cake T ' 



Kernel of sunflower seed xiate. 



It is pointed out that the solvents used do not give exact results. 

 A comparison of the above data with analyses of these substances 

 shows that in general where the crude fiber is high the lignin is high 

 also, and vice versa. 



The author reports studies on the character of lignin. It was found 

 that when the insoluble residue obtained above was extracted with 

 dilute ammonia a brown coloration was produced and the residue then 

 yielded cellulose with Schweizer's reagent. After treating a while 

 longer more cellulose could be dissolved out with Schweizer's reagent, 

 and this process could be repeated many times. A simple apparatus 

 was devised for supplying fresh ammonia, so that the extraction could 

 be carried on undisturbed for weeks, and even months. Various mate- 

 rials (feeding stuffs, wood, cork, etc.) digested in this apparatus, the 

 time required for dissolving out the incrusting substances depending 

 upon the degree of lignification. Finally the ammonia ceased to be 

 colored, the residue looked like cellulose, and was for the most part 

 dissolved by Schweizer's reagent. After no more cellulose could be 



