130 



T.IE AMERICAN BEE JOUENAL. 



jAHiilysis of Pollen. 



BY DK. ASMUSZ. 



Dr. Doniioff-\vas tlie first to subject the pollen 



gathered by bees to analysis, and communicated 



the result to the Bienenzeiturig, vol. 12, No. 19. 



' I undertook the same task last summer, and 



am able to furnish some lurther details. 



This substance, as I'ouud in the hives, is com- 

 monly called iiollen; but as it undergoes con- 

 siderable change after being collected by the 

 bees, that designation is not entirely correct. 

 Bee-brcad\s the more appropriate term. 



When bee-bread is immersed in water, it 

 separates into a powdery mass resembling potato 

 meal, and becomes loosely deposited on the 

 bottom of the containing vessel, while the water 

 assumes a translucent yellow color. This 

 liquid, according to the quanity of water used, 

 has a more or less sweetish taste, somewhat dis- 

 agreable, resembling that of Rhamnus fraa- 

 f/ula, (Alder-Buckthorn,) with an acid of re- 

 action. 



If filtered and boiled, the fluid becomes turbid 

 at 122^ F., and a quantity of white flakes are 

 deposited. These consist almost wholly of pure 

 albumen, and become more abundant the higher 

 the temperature is raised. Soon after reaching 

 the boiling point, llie coagulation of albumen 

 ceases; and if now again filtered, the clear liquid 

 will be somewhat deeper colored than before. 

 When again boiled, it becomes gradually in- 

 spissated anol syrupy, with a more sweetish 

 taste, and the odor of boiling lioney. On cool- 

 ing, a clear yellowish jelly is formed, which is 

 insoluble in ether and alcohol, and consists 

 essentially of pectic acid and grapesugar. If 

 set in a warm place, butyric acid will speedily 

 be generated in the jellj'. Butyric acid, indeed, 

 is found free and in considerable quantity in 

 old bee-bread, and is perceptible from its 

 pungent acid odor. The quantity of jelly in- 

 spissated to a syrupy consistence, obtained by 

 boiling, equals about thirty per cent, of the bee- 

 bread employed. 



Let us now examine the bee bread, or rather 

 pollen proper, deposited in the containing ves- 

 sel. If this meal be digested in alcohol several 

 days, the liquor will be colored intensely yel- 

 low, and have a somewhat bitter and astringent 

 taste. When filtered and mixed with a large 

 proportion of water, the liquid immediately be- 

 comes turbid and assumes a milky appearance. 

 In a few seconds, whitish or cream-colored 

 flakes are seen, which at first float on the sur- 

 face, but are soon precipitated. If tliese be 

 collected on a filter, and dried between tissue 

 paper, they form an amorphous, yellowish, 

 resiny soft mass, with an agreeable odor, re- 

 sembling that of TrolHus Europeus, (European 

 Globe-flower,) and a bitter, strongly astringent 

 taste. This mass is partially soluble in cold 

 alcohol, and entirely so in hot. On cooling, 

 myricen is separated. 



The alcoholic solution has a bitter astringent 

 taste. When mixed with water it becomes 

 turbid, though no precipitate is formed; at least 

 not speedily. On boiling this liquid, a reddish- 

 colored oi' collects on the surface, luiving the 



pleasant odor of the Globe-flower. Skimmed 

 ofi" and alloAved to cool, this was found to be a 

 soft wax, melting at a temperature of 133~' F. 

 It was readily soluble in ether, hot alcohol, and 

 benzine; but only slightly so in cold alcohol. 

 It was found to contain, besides myricine, acid 

 of palmatiu, stearine, oleine, and oxyd of 



gi.ycyi. 



A solution of this wax in alcohol, subjected 

 to distillation, yielded a product from which, 

 when dih;ted with water, a reddish etherial oil 

 having the odor of the Globe-flower separated. 

 Dropped on paper and allowed to evaporate, it 

 communicated thereto an odor resembling the 

 most fragrant tea. I designate the oil as Au- 

 thosmin. 



On further evaporation of the liquid referred 

 to, after the wax had been skimmed off", resin 

 was deposited on the bottom and sides of the 

 vessel. When nearly altogether evaporated, it 

 was removed from the fire, and set aside. In a 

 few minutes, small needle-shaped, bitter-tasting 

 crystals were deposited along with the resin. 

 These contained hyppuric acid, and were 

 separated from the resin by means of waiuu 

 water, thus obtaining the resin pure. 



This resin is of a dull green color, hard, but 

 can easily be pulverized. It is inodorous, with 

 an astringent taste. It is readily soluble in 

 ether, alcohol, and benzine, imparting to these 

 a yellowish green color. When heated, it does 

 not properly melt, but swells up like amber. 

 Dissolved in a small cpiantity of hot alcohol, it 

 soon crystallizes in slender, greenish, satiny 

 spicula. It belongs to the group of coloring 

 substances. I will call it Cerethin. 



After treating it with alcohol, the pollen was 

 digested in ether, which soon became colored 

 deep-red. It was then separated from the in- 

 soluble matters by filtration, and allowed to 

 evaporate, leaving as a residuum a soft, beauti- 

 ful red- colored fat, which was found to be 

 identical with the wax previously obtained, 

 except that it contained more coloring matter, 

 which could not be separated from the wax. I 

 had consequently to recur again the unadulter- 

 ated bee-bread, and adopt a special process to 

 separate the coloring matter. 



This insoluble portion of the bee-bread or the 

 meal was a dull white, inodorous, and insipid, 

 delicate powder, consisting of pollenin and cel- 

 lulose. 



To obtain the orange coloring matter, a quan- 

 tity of fresh bee-bread was digested in water, 

 to remove the sacharine gelatinous elements. 

 When this was etfected, the meal was collected 

 on a filter, and then shaken in ether to extract 

 the fatty portion and the wax. After decanting 

 the ether, and pressing the meal, the latter was 

 boiled some time in a solution of carbonate of 

 potash. The decoction was then filtered, and to 

 the liquid thus obtained, neutral acetate of lead 

 was added, sufficient to precipitate the coloring 

 matter, which settled, in yellow flakes, at the 

 bottom of the containing vessel. It was separ- 

 ated from the liquid acetate of lead by filtra- 

 tion, and Avashed in distilled water. It Avas 

 then mixed with sulphate of hydrogen, thus 

 converting the oxj'd into sulphate of lead. It 

 was then again washed Avith water, and the 



