QUANTITATIVE MICROSCOPIC DETERMINATIONS 151 



ever made, one of the larger starch granules (all granules 15 microns 

 and more in diameter) and one of the smaller starch granules (all 

 granules less than 15 microns in diameter). The ratio between the 

 number of larger and smaller starch granules shall be known as the 

 starch granule ratio and it is recommended that this ratio be used in 

 estimating the quality of wheat flours. It would appear that the 

 quality of wheat flour, from the standpoint of the baker, is in direct 

 ratio to the relative number of larger starch granules present. A 

 starch granule ratio of 1 :3 to 1 :4 is high; from 1 :4 to 1 :6 is me- 

 dium, and from 1 :6 to 1 :8 is low, and the quality of 'the flours made 

 from wheat showing such ratios is correspondingly good or high grade, 

 medium grade and poor or low grade. It would also appear that flour 

 made from wheat grown in the eastern United States gives the higher 

 starch granule ratios (1:3 to 1:6), while flour made from wheat 

 grown in the far West (California, for example) shows the lower 

 ratios (1 :6 to 1 :8). It would appear, based upon the examination 

 of many samples, that the starch granule ratio for flours made from 

 wheat grown in the middle West (Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska) is 

 approximately 1:5. It must be kept in mind, however, that the 

 different processes employed by millers (sterilized, bleached, patent 

 flours, etc.) also modify the ratio. The starch granule ratio has no 

 bearing on the differences in gluten and proteid granule content of 

 different wheats and of different wheat flours. It would appear that 

 bread made from wheat flour in which the relative number of larger 

 granules is high (ratio of 1 :3) is lighter and softer, hence more palat- 

 able and no doubt also easier of digestion, than bread made from flour 

 with a low starch granule ratio. 



It may be stated that there are very marked local geographic 

 variations in the starch granule ratios. Also, the ratio varies with 

 different varieties of wheat. 



6. Microscopical Examination of Smoking Opium. Place a small 

 bit of the material on a slide, cover with No. 2 cover glass, applying 

 enough pressure to spread the mass. Examine first under the low 

 power of the compound microscope. Smoking opium shows numerous 

 colorless prismatic crystals in the dark brown matrix. These crystals 

 are large enough to be seen distinctly under the low power of the 

 compound microscope and resemble somewhat the phytosterol crystals 

 of vegetable oils and fats and are probably crystals of meconates of 

 the opium alkaloids. The number of crystals is in direct proportion 

 to the total alkaloids present, hence the relative number of crystals 

 seen under the microscope indicates the quality of the smoking opium. 



Smoking opium is no longer allowed entry into the United States. 



