61 



In conclusion it may still be pointed out here that the relation 

 existing between free fatty acid and separated glycerine offers a 

 chance to throw light on the mechanism of the splitting up of fat 

 in germinating seeds. It is still an open question whether the reaction 

 takes place there analogously to the saponification by the aid of the 

 ferment from ricinus seed. 



§ 21. In the saponification according to the Twitchell process 

 Kellner found for palmkernel oil the values from columns 1, 2, 3, 

 and 6 of table 7. 



TABLE 1. 



In column 8 are found tlie values of 100 T calculated from g 

 by the aid of formula (41), which has been derived for the case 

 that p = 3 and q = 9, but which with a deviation smaller than 

 0.3 7o is also valid for the case that p = i, q == 23 (cf. § 15 and 

 fig. 2 curve E). 



In the first row the found and the calculated values of 100 7^ 

 diverge greatly. This, however, says little, as this great difference 

 already disappears if the glycerine content of the fat is 12.17o 

 instead of 11.367o- When little glycerine has as yet been separated, 

 a small error in the glycerine content of the concerned sample or 

 of the triglyceride, on which the calculation of (/ is based, has a 

 very great influence on the calculated value of T. The agreement 

 between the other values of column 7 and 8 is satisfactory. 



As it now appears from the experiments described in § 7 and 

 § 8 that p ^ 1 in general in the Twitchell saponification, q must 

 have a value in this case, which, as appears from the agreement 



