KEPOiiT OF THE CHEMIST. 81 



The most noticeable x>eculiarities of this substance are the entire ab- 

 sence of starch,* the comparatively small amounts extracted by sol- 

 vents, the gelatinous character of the cellulose, and the very small 

 amount of albuminous substances.^ 



No other substance yet analyzed has been reported to contain so large 

 a proportion of peetinous matter ; in ordinary fruits, such as are com- 

 monly used for making jellies, these pectin bodies seldom amount to 

 ten per cent. Torrey suggested that tuckahoe in line powder would 

 serve as the basis for edible jellies. 



According to Sach's Botany " the origin of colloidal pectin * * » 

 is still unknown." Its nutritive value seems also to be entirely unde- 

 cided. The older writers considered the pectin bodies of no value as 

 foods, while later authors seem inclined to give them a value approxi- 

 mating that of starch. It seems certain that a diet of tuckahoe alone 

 would not sustain life, because of the lack of sufficient nitrogenous ma- 

 terials to repair the waste in the animal tissues ; still it might prove, 

 like our farinaceous articles of food, a valuable adjunct to highly nitro- 

 genous foods. 



]Sro better material could be offered the botanist and physiologist than 

 is tuckahoe for the decision of two questions, viz : How are the pectin 

 bodies formed in plants, and what are their values as foods 1 



EFFECT ON CANE SUGAR OP COOKING WITH FRUIT. 



Two Eusset apples were pared and sliced, covered with cane sugar 

 and baked for three hours at a rather low temperature. Then deter- 

 minations were made of the amounts of unchanged cane sugar (" su- 

 crose") and of inverted sugar ("glucose"). It was found that 60.64 per 

 cent, of the cane sugar had been "inverted." This inverted sugar 

 being less sweet, it follows that to get the full sweetening effect of cano 

 sugar it should bo added to fruit after cooking rather than before. It 

 is very probable that all the cane sugar would have been changed to 

 inverted sugar had the api)les been more tart. * 



EXAMINATION OF LIGNITE. 



From "Baby Mine," 40 miles weat of Bismarck, Dak. Received from C. W. 

 Thompson, Bismarck, Dak. 



Moisture 17.81 



Ash, light gray 4,67 



Bituminous matter 56. 50 



Coko 2L02 



100. 00 



Total sulphur in coal 1.17 per cent. 



Total sulphur in ash .^>4 per cent. 



ANALYSIS OF ROCK SALT. 



From mine of American Rock Salt Company, Iberia Parish, Louisiana. 



Sodium chloride 98.900 



Calcium chloride ; 14(5 



Magnesium chloride 022 



Calcium sulphate ...'. 838 



Insoluble in water 014 



Moisture 080 



___^ . 100. 000 



" No fuDgus has yet been shown to contain true starch. (Sach's Botany, 241.) ' 

 t Most fungi are highly nitrogenous. 



6 AG 



