NOTES. 613 



period «>t' observation, the tannin was found to decrease in proportion to the increase 

 in the weight of the marc. 



The tannin is not decomposed and does not actually disappear in the ripening ol 

 the fruit, but is converted into an insoluble* form by a change of its constitution or 

 composition, or by its combination with sonic substance of very low molecular 

 weighl within certain specialized cells. No evidence was found of the combination 

 of tannin with any other body in the formation of this insoluble compound. The 

 changes occurring on storage were similar to. but more rapid than, those occurring 

 in tin- natural ripening of the fruit. Decreases were found in the soli. is and sugar of 

 the stored fruit, while the weight of marc in the fruit was found to increase owing to 

 the tannin becoming insoluble. 



A paper on The Cotton Oil I ndustry of the South, by D. Schwartz, dealt with the 

 pressing, refining, grading, and uses of cotton-seed oil. It was estimated that 7"> pei 

 cent of the animal production of L 20, 000, 000 gallons of oil is used for food purpi 



.1. II. Long reported Investigations on Salts of Casein. He endeavored to deter- 

 mine by physical methods certain constants which mighl he considered as charac- 

 teristic of casein from the milk of different species. The determinations made were 

 (1) the equivalent weighl by titration with ,',, alkali, using phenolphthalein as an 

 indicator, (2) the electrical conductivity of the salt solution so obtained and of salt 

 solutions made with half this amount of alkali, (3) the optical reduction of the -alt 

 solutions, and (4) the behavior of the casein on digestion with pepsin and hydro 

 chloric acid, and the changes in the conductivity of the digesting mixtures. Deter- 

 minations on casein prepared from cows', goats', and human milk were reported. 

 Considerable differences were found in the equivalent weighl of casein from goats' 

 and cows' milk. 



F. C. Weber reported experiments on The Influence of Salicylic Acid on the 

 Kxcretion of Urea and Trie Acid, showing that salicylic acid given in quantities of 

 ', to \ gm. daily did not increase the excretion of urea and uric acid to the extent 

 claimed by many investigators. 



F. G. Benedict, in a paper on The Cutaneous Excretion of Nitrogenous Material, 

 stated that the cutaneous elimination of nitrogenous material in a healthy man 

 amounted to about 71 milligrams per day. A man subjected to heavy labor showed 

 an elimination of 220 milligrams per hour, which rate could he maintained for <> 

 hours. The experiments indicate that this channel of elimination can not he ignored 

 in studying nitrogen metabolism. 



A paper on The Effect of Alcohol on the Secretion of Rile, by W. Salant, was pie 

 sented in abstract and indicated that moderate amounts of alcohol are helpful to 

 digestion, while large amounts are injurious. 



Among the other papers on the programme, many of which were read merely by 

 title, were the following: Recent Experimental Researches on Osmosis, by I.. Kahl- 

 enberg; Laboratory Designing and Construction, by W. I.. Dudley; Separation of 

 Solutes from Solvents by Absorbing Media, by I". K . Cameron and J. M. Bell; 

 Molecular Absorption, by F. K. Cameron and B. I'.. Livingston; Absorption of 

 Potassium, by 0. Schreiner and G. H. Failyer; Absorption of Phosphates from Solu- 

 tions, by 0. Schreiner and G. 11. Failyer; Electrolysis and Endosmosis in the Study 

 of Rock Decomposition, by A. S. Cushman; A Method for the Determination of 

 Small Amounts of Copper in Water, by E. B. Phelps; A Trade Waste Study: Copper 

 Salts in Irrigation Waters, by W. W. skinner: <»n the Presence in Soils and Subsoils 

 of Substances Deleterious to Plant Growth, by F. K. Cameron and B! E Livingston; 

 The Estimation of Hydrocyanic Acid in Cassava, by C. C. Moore; Artificial Color- 

 ing Matter in Whiskey, hy I'. II. Walker; A Uniform Method for the Determination 

 of IVxtrose and Invert Sugar, by 1'. H. Walker: The Extraction of Tanning Mate- 

 rials for Analysis, by F. 1*. Veitch and II. II. Hurt; The Dextrose Equivalent in 



