212 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



results obtained by various authors and tlie methods employed for investigat- 

 ing the quality of flour. The author has also conducted some catalase tests, 

 in which it was noted that ignited sea sand was capable of liberating oxygen 

 from hydrogen peroxid mechanically. See also previous note (E. S. R., 22, 

 p. 411). 



Detection of cotton-seed oil in olive oil, R. Marcille (Ann. Falsif., 3 

 {1910), No. 20, pp. 235-238; ahs. in Chem. Zty., 3/, {1910), No. 85, Repert., p. 

 346; Analyst, 35 {1910), No. 413, pp. 356, 357).— lu Halphen's test the author 

 finds the reaction more sensitive if the oil and reagent are heated in a sealed 

 glass tube at a temperature of 120° C. When 1 per cent of cotton-seed'oil is 

 present a distinct coloration is obtained in 12 minutes. With small amounts 

 of oil it is necessary to heat for 6 hours but care must be taken not to exceed a 

 temperature of 120°, as at from 130 to 150° pure fats and oils, especially olive 

 oils, yield a coloration with the reagent. By preparing standards of olive oil 

 containing known amounts of cotton-seed oil an approximation can be obtained, 

 by comparison, as to how much cotton-seed oil is present in the olive oil in 

 question. 



The detection of urotropin in musts and wines, Voisenet {Ann. Chim. 

 Analyt., 15 {1910), No. 7, pp. 266-268).— The method consists of the following: 

 Take 25 cc. of the wine, acidify with 2 drops of sulphuric acid, distill slowly 

 in a distillation flask, and collect the distillate in a test tube which is graduated 

 up to 50 cc. Reject the first 5 cc, but add to the following 5 cc. 1 cc. of the 

 albumin reagent and 18 cc. of the nitrous-hydrochloric acid reagent, and then 

 agitate and heat in the water bath. In the presence of urotropin a violet 

 coloration will be produced. 



The chemistry of vanilla beans, S. Iserman (Tea and Coffee Trade Jour,, 

 19 {1910), No. 1, pp. 21-26, figs. 7). — From a number of careful experiments 

 made to discover the chemical character of the different constituents of the 

 vanilla bean the author reaches the conclusion that the natural flavor of vanilla 

 bean will not be reproduced by artificial means for many years to come. 



Additional notes for methods in fat analysis, B. B. Holland (Massachu- 

 setts Sta. Rpt. 1909, pt. 1, p. 139). — Continuing previous work (E. S. R., 22, 

 p. 212), the author draws attention to the importance of using a definite 

 amount of indicator (1 cc.) and a definite temperature (40 to 45° C.) for con- 

 ducting titrations for the saponification and acid numbers of the fat and the 

 neutralization number of the insoluble acids. Sulphuric acid was found pref- 

 erable to hydrochloric acid for the decomposition of the soaps in the estima- 

 tion of insoluble acids. The variable results obtained in determining the iodin 

 number, are probably due to the volatilization of the iodin, and may be made 

 more uniform by moistening the cork with a solution of potassium iodid. 



Stability of butter fat samples, E. B. Holland {Massachusetts Sta. Rpt. 

 1909, pt. 1, pp. 132-138). — The author sought to determine whether butter 

 samples as ordinarily handled underwent any changes, and whether these 

 appreciably affected the analytical results. 



The results show that light in the presence of moisture produces a loss in 

 color, but no marked acceleration in the loss of color was present in the ab- 

 sence of air. Air, on the other hand, always induced a uniform destruction 

 of color. The chemical i-esults show that added moisture in the absence of 

 air had no appreciable action in excess of the check, nor did light alone in the 

 presence of moisture show any change for a period of 18 months, while the 

 check sample was somewhat decomposed. Moist air increased hydrolysis and 

 water and light hastened the process. When air was absent, added moisture 

 seemed to have no influence on the unsaturated compounds, whereas both light 

 with and without moisture checked the oxidation process somewhat. The 



