CHEMISTRY. 807 



is allowed to stand for some time, when a small amount of a fiocculent 

 yellow precipitate appears and the supernatant liquid becomes per- 

 fectly clear. From this solution the starch is precipitated by 95 per 

 cent alcohol, rubbed up with alcohol, collected on a filter, washed with 

 water-free ether, and finally dried in a heated vacuum. In this way a 

 snow-white amorphous body without odor or taste was obtained, of the 

 approximate formula, 3G, i H I o05.H 2 0. 



This substance is easily soluble in cold water. It was impossible to 

 keep a solution stronger than 12.5 per cent at ordinary temperature. 

 In warm water it appeared to dissolve in any proportion. It gave a 

 clear blue color with iodin, and Avas not changed by prolonged heating. 

 It did not reduce Fehling's solution. It rotated the polarized light to 

 the right, the specific rotation varying with the concentration. — J. p. 



STREET. 



Chemical department, R. Be Roode ( ^Yest Virginia Sta. Bpt. 

 189~ } , pp. 18-35). — The work of the year in this department of the sta- 

 tion is briefly summarized, and an account is given of a comparison of 

 the author's method 1 for determining phosphoric acid and nitrogen 

 in the same sample with the official methods on a large number of 

 fertilizing materials. 



"The results thus far seem to indicate very clearly that very accurate results may 

 be obtained by determining the total phosphoric acid in a portion of the same solu- 

 tion in which the nitrogen is to be estimated; and that this is the case whether the 

 plain Kjeldahl or the Gunning modification is used; or in case nitrates are present, 

 whether zinc dust, zinc sulphid, or hyposulphite of soda is used. . . . 



"As to the question of the use of permanganate of potassium, [in the author's 

 opinion the results obtained] show beyond any doubt that its use is entirely without 

 effect upon the percentage of the nitrogen obtained, even though used very liber- 

 ally. However, if it should still be deemed necessary by some chemists, its use 

 may be continued, its bad effects upon the determination of the phosphoric acid in 

 the same solution being destroyed by the addition of a solution of oxalic acid in 

 quantities just sufficient to accomplish the purpose, before diluting up to the mark 

 or by other means." 



The Burney method of solution (in sulphuric acid with the addition 

 of potassium nitrate) in the determination of phosphoric acid gave 

 fully as accurate results as solution in nitric and hydrochloric acids. 



The author describes the following laboratory apparatus: Kjeldahl 

 distillation flask covered with asbestos, siphon wash bottle, filtering- 

 tubes to be used in place of Gooch crucibles for potash determinations, 

 and a pipette for use in the author's application of the Kjeldahl method 

 to the determination of phosphoric acid and nitrogen, which is so 

 graduated that the necessity for correction or calculation is obviated 

 should the strength of the ammonia solution not be exactly 1.4 gm. of 

 nitrogen per liter. 



Spontaneous combustion of hay, G. C. Watson (Pennsylvania Sta. Bpt. 1896, pp. 

 55,56). — The author reports in detail an apparent case of spontaneous combustion 

 of hay in one of the college barns. 



1 West Virginia Sta. Rpt. 1891, p. 21 (E. S. R., 9, p. 721). 



