Dr. Lucius Nicholls 237 



Theobromine and T/ieine. This was esti- 

 mated by Kunge's method ; in three samples 

 two showed a slight loss relative to the fats 

 and the third showed practically no loss. 



Cacao Red. - - Determined by Zipperer's 

 method : the possible errors in the technique 

 for estimating these complex products render 

 it impossible to gauge very small losses. The 

 fact that cacao red can be found in the later 

 sweatings shows that there is some loss. 



Albumen, Fibrin, Gluten, &c., show a slight 

 loss. 



Bitter Principle. The nature of this and its 

 analysis have not yet been determined. 



If cacao beans are broken up, an equal 

 quantity of water added and the mass filtered, 

 the bitterness will be found to have come away 

 with the small quantity of water ; if the filtrate 

 is now boiled with a very dilute mineral acid 

 it ceases to be bitter. 



Undoubtedly bitterness is lessened by the 

 fermentation of the beans. But as the bitter- 

 ness can be easily got rid of by the manu- 

 facturer, it does not appear desirable to carry 

 fermentation to the stage of putrefaction when 

 this bitterness disappears. 



Salts. These remain practically constant. 

 A small amount probably diffuses out from the 

 kernel. 



Acetic Acid, Alcohol and Acetic Ether. 

 These diffuse into the bean from the exterior, 

 also small amounts are formed in the 'kernel. 



