14 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Investigations in regard to milk ferments and their origin, J. Wohlge- 

 muth and M. Strich {Sitzher. K. Preuss. Akad. Wiss., 1910, XXIV, pp. 520- 

 524; o&«- in ZentU. Biochem. u. Biophys., 10 {1910), No. 9-10, pp. 4^8, 4^9; 

 Chem. ZentU., 1910, II, No. 5, p. 331). — The authors found a peptolytic ferment 

 in the milk from women and from various animals. For detecting the ferment 

 the peptid glycyltryptophan and the bromin reaction was chosen. The ferment 

 was thermolabile, but very resistant toward gastric juice. Further investigations 

 were made for the purpose of eliciting the origin of milk ferments, and it ap- 

 pears that animals which have a high diastatic power in the blood have a low 

 one in their milk. Cow's and goat's milk does not contain this diastase, but 

 human milk contains much more diastase than human blood. 



The authors conclude that the diastase of milk does not originate from the 

 blood and is to the greatest extent a product of the activity of the mammary 

 gland. On the other hand, howevei*, they were able to show that it was possible 

 for ferments of the blood to migrate into the milk. Tying the duct of Wirsung 

 increased the diastase content of both the blood and milk. 



The estimation of diastase in milk, J. Van Haarst (Chcm. Weekbl., 7 

 (1910), No. 16, pp. 354, 355; abs. in Chem. ZentU., 1910, I, No. 21, p. 1852).— A 

 description is given of Koning's method, which consists in placing 10 cc. of milk 

 in each of 15 test tubes and adding to the first tube 1 drop of a 1 per cent 

 solution of starch, to the second tube 2 drops, and to the third, 3 drops, etc. 

 The tubes are allowed to stand for 30 minutes, when 1 cc. of iodin solution is 

 added to each tube and the color noted. 



The author tested this method, using water instead of millc, and found that 

 water also exerts a diastatic action. From this he concludes that the method 

 is inaccurate. 



Diastase estimation in milk, C. J. Koning {Chem. WeekU., 7 {1910), No. 

 17, p. 377; ahs. in Chem. ZentU., 1910, I, No. 21, p. 1852).— A reply to the above, 

 in which the author states that he had pointed out the hydrolytic action of 

 water on stai'ch long ago. This factor, however, does not lessen the value of 

 the diastase test. 



The relation between fat and calcium in cream, H. C. TiYTPiGOE and C. E. 

 Marsh {Jour. Indus, and Engin. Chem., 2 {1910), No. 7, pp. 327, 328). — The 

 results indicate that the calcium content in pure cream varies greatly, being 

 lowest in heavy and highest in light cream. Tests of remixing with cream the 

 skim milk from which it was separated showed that this increased the calcium 

 content in the final product. In testing commercial samples of cream it was 

 found that most of the samples were relatively lower in calcium than those of 

 known purity or those separated in the laboratory. This was probably due to 

 the fact that commercial creams are usually pasteurized. 



About moisture and fat estimation in cheese, M. Siegfeld {Milchio. ZentU., 

 G {1910), No. 8, pp. 352-361).— A study of methods for moisture and fat, in- 

 cluding for fat the hydrochloric acid, the Gottlieb, and the acid butyrometric 

 methods. The last named yields results almost equivalent to the gravimetric 

 method and is recommended for practical purposes. 



Potato culls as a source of industrial alcohol, A. O. Wente and L. M. Toi>- 

 MAN {U. 8. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 410, pp. 5-34, flos. 10). — This publication 

 shows that when potato culls in a potato-growing region are economically 

 handled and converted into tax-free alcohol with the aid of proper machinery, a 

 good outlet for an otherwise unmarketable pi'oduct is obtained. This is par- 

 ticularly true where the manufacture of the alcohol is conducted on a cooperative 

 basis. 



The following topics are discussed in a form devoid of technical terms : 

 Fundamental considerations in establishing a potato distillery, location, machin- 



