172 



PARA RUBBER. 



cent.) of free fatty acids present in the former, whilst the latter 

 contained only 5.4 per cent, of free acids. The cause of this 

 difference in the two oils has been investigated, and it has been 

 found that after the seed has been crushed the oil gradually 

 undergoes decomposition, owing to the action of a hydrolytic 

 enzyme contained in the seed, which will be made the subject of 

 special study. 



The meal furnished the following results on analysis : 



Moisture 



Ash 



Fibre 



Oil 



Proteids - 



Carbohydrates 



Per cent. 



9.1 



3-53 



3-4 



36.1 



18.2 



29.67 



The ash was found to contain 30.3 per cent, of phosphoric 

 acid (calculated as P 2 O 5 ) present in the form of phosphates, 

 which is equivalent to 1.07 per cent, of phosphoric acid in the 

 meal. 



The results of this examination of the Para rubber seed meal 

 indicate that the material thus prepared could neither be used 

 as a fodder, owing to the presence in it of large quantities of 

 free fatty acids, nor for the expression of Para rubber seed oil 

 since the latter has been largely decomposed. 



It is probable, however, that if the oil were expressed from 



