PREPARATION OF FOOD. 187 



Alcoholic Drinks. — Bouchardat and Sandras (Ann. de 

 Cliim. et de Phys. 1847, and Ch. Gaz. vi. 121), with a view 

 of determining the manner in which alcohol is absorbed by 

 and the changes which it undergoes in the system, performed 

 a series of experiments, the results of which go to prove that 

 it is absorbed by the veins, and not by the lacteals ; and, ex- 

 cepting a minute portion escaping by the lungs, it is entirely 

 oxidized into carbonic acid and water, either directly or by 

 passing through the intermediate stage of acetic acid. 



2. Prejmration of Food. — On this subject, much cannot be 

 yet offered by the chemist ; but, with his wonted spirit, Liebig 

 has led the way in this branch of the chemical arts. 



Index of Nutrition. — Dr. A. Voelker's essay, presented to 

 the British Association at their late meeting (1850), showed 

 that the quantity of nitrogen, considered as an index of the 

 nutritive value of food, had been incorrectly estimated, in con- 

 sequence of a portion of it existing in the form of ammonia. 



Detection of Corn-meal in Wheat-Jlour. — La Grange ( Journ. 

 de Chem. Med. iv. 339) takes of the suspected matter 2 grm. 

 sifts and places it in a test-tube, and then stirs in 4 grm. nitric 

 acid. After this it is diluted with 60 grm. water, and then a 

 solution of 2 grm. carbonate of potassa in 8 grm. water is 

 added. After the escape of carbonic acid, if there is no 

 corn present, the subsiding flocculoe will be yellow ; otherwise 

 they will be intermixed with orange-colored particles. This 

 test serves for the detection of as little as 4 per cent, of in- 

 dian-meal. 



Horse-chesnut. — Flandin (Comptes Rendus, xxvii.) proposes 

 to remove the acrid resin and bitter taste of the horse-chesnut, 

 by kneading the powdered kernel with ^^ to jo^ of its weight 

 of soda, and then washing out with water. 



Cooking of Meat. — Liebig's researches (Ann. Ch. Pharm. 

 Ixii. 257) upon the juices of flesh have furnished valuable 

 results, which are full of general interest, because of their 

 practical application. All the nutritious portions of flesh may 

 be extracted by finely mincing and exhausting it with cold 

 water. The liquid, thus obtained, contains creatin, some ere- 



