410 



the new red sandstone, lie stated that analysis showed that the wheat 

 grown upon the carboniferous system was deficient in phosphates or 

 nutritive salts; and that a man who consumed a pound of Cheshire wheat 

 per day took in nine grains more of phosphoric acid than one who took 

 a pound of wheat grown upon the carboniferous system. The deficiency 

 also of the nutritive salts in the bread compared with those in the wheat 

 was very remarkable ; and it was no doubt owing to the removal of the 

 bran from the flour with which the bread was made. Medical men, he 

 said, could not too much impress upon the minds of the public the im- 

 IJortance of using flour made from the whole of the wheat or "whole 

 grain." Professor Church, of Cirencester, has lately found in entire wheat 

 2.J2 per cent, of nitrogen, equivalent to 13.40 pev cent, of albuminoids, 

 or flesh formers. 



Analysis of sACcnARiNE matters. — During the late meeting of 

 the British Association, Dr. Apjohn gave a brief sketch of the methods 

 of analysis usually applied to different varieties of saccharine matters, 

 stating that they were three in number, namely : The optical method, 

 the chemical method, and that in which both these methods are com- 

 bined. He then explained the principle on which the saccharometer of 

 Edhil is based, and how, with the aid of this instrument, and a double 

 observation with it, one before and the other after inversion of the 

 sirup, the amount of cane-sugar in the saccharine material is deter- 

 mined. He considers the information thus obtained of the highest 

 value, the cane sugar being by far the most valuable constituent of 

 crude saccharine matter. But the analysis is imperfect, since it gives 

 no information as to the amount of the inverted sugar and the grajje- 

 sugar, which are invariably associated with the cane element, and does 

 not even make it i^ossible to assign the aggregate quantity of these 

 varieties of sugar. The analysis, however, may be completed in a very 

 simple way, namely, by acting with the sirup, after its inversion, upon 

 Barrossmill's solution of copper, by means of which a third equa- 

 tion is obtained, which, as there are only three unknown quantities, con- 

 ducts at once to a complete solution of the problem. The object of this 

 paper, as stated by Dr. Apjohn, was principally to call the attention of 

 chemists to the present imperfect state of saccharine analysis. 



Application of the germ theory to making preserves. — 

 ]\Iiss Lydia Becker, although best known as a writer on political econ- 

 omy and social science, gave a valuable hint during a recent discussion 

 of the British Association upon the " Germ Theory," in which she 

 showed its bearing upon the making of preserves, and keeping mold 

 from settling on the jam. According to the old practice of leaving the 

 pots uncovered for several days' time was allowed for the germs in the 

 atmosphere to descend and settle on the jam, which was a capital soil, 

 and the result was a plentiful crop of mold. She therefore advised 

 the ladies in the section, when making preserves, to cover up the pots 

 while the sweetmeats were in a heated condition. 



Albuimen charcoal. — A preparation called albumen charcoal has 

 been devised for the purpose of clarifying sugar sirups, and for which 

 it is said to answer an excellent purpose, a very small quantity only 

 being required. Its application in clarifying wines has been suggested, 

 although it is not stated whether it is exactly suitable. To prepare this 

 substance, finely powdered and purified animal charcoal is to be mixed 

 to a stiff dough with white of egg, and torn apart into small pieces, 

 dusted with the charcoal, dried, and pulverized, and again kneaded with 

 egg albumen to a dough, which is to be dried and powdered anew. 



