300 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LII. No. 1343 



been eaJfulated which gives the units of color cor- 

 responding to each scale reading from 100 to 1. 

 A convenient method for determining the color of 

 raw sugars, using the table, is given together with 

 results for various sugars. 



The deterioration of Cuban raw sugar in^ stor- 

 age: Nicholas KoPELorF and H. Z. E. Perkins. 

 From the results indicated below, a correlation 

 between the number of microorganisms and the 

 moisture ratio is indicated which appears to make 

 it possible to predict the keeping qualit7 of a 

 sugar by a preliminary bacteriological and a chem- 

 ical analysis. Cuban raw sugars (with moisture 

 ratios varying from .22 to .49) were stored under 

 normal conditions in a, large warehouse for 5i 

 months and analyzed chemically and bacteriolog- 

 ieally. There was a loss in polarization at the end 

 of this period, as well as at the end of one month, 

 which was generally accompanied by a gain in 

 reducing sugars. Likewise a gain in moisture con- 

 tent and reduction in the factor of safety was 

 noted. There was a decided increase in total num- 

 ber of microorganisms after one month, which 

 could be correlated within certain limitations with 

 deterioration. Where there was a large initial in- 

 fection, deterioration was rapid. In general 

 there were more microorganisms in the middle of 

 the bag than at the surface. Bags designated as 

 wet, stained or having sugar light in color, de- 

 teriorated more rapidly than when drier, un- 

 stained or dark in color. In bags of sugar which 

 are deteriorating rapidly, the surface deteriora- 

 tion is greatest, while in less rapid deterioration 

 the middle of the bag seems to undergo greater 

 decomposition. Deterioration was found to be 

 proportionately greater over a longer incubation 

 period than in one month. 



The development of the polarimeter : Noel 

 Deebs. a brief account is given of the develop- 

 ment of the polarimeter beginning with the 

 earliest instrument of Biot and continuing with 

 the subsequent improvements of Nicol, Ventzke, 

 Mitscherlich, Soleil, Duboscq, Jellet, Cornu, Lau- 

 rent, Lippich and others. The three major in- 

 ventions in this development are the prism of 

 Nicol, the quartz wedge compensator of Soleil and 

 Duboscq, and the photometric end-point of Jellet. 

 German science has contributed nothing elemen- 

 tary to this development, although the manufac- 

 ture of polarimeters has been allowed to become 

 almost exclusively Teutonic. 



Changes in the analytical ratios of sugar during 

 refining: A. F. Blake. 



Boneblacic and decolorizing carbons: W. D. 

 Hosne. Investigators of Boneblack and decolor- 

 izing carbons should bear in mind the practical 

 working conditions to be met by these substances. 

 Boneblack or substitutes should exist in grains of 

 16 to 30 mesh and should be hard, very porous 

 and high in absorptive power for iron as well as 

 for coloring substances. Carbon is not necessarily 

 a constituent, and a more easily cleansed and 

 revivified substance is needed. Decolorizing car- 

 bons need to be more absorbent of ash and of red 

 coloring matters such as caramel, and cheap 

 enough to discard after using a few times. 



The production of the gum, levan, by mold 

 spores: Nicholas Kopeloff and Lillian Kope- 

 LOFF. Mold spores contain an enzyme capable of 

 forming gum in sugar solutions of all concentra- 

 tions up to the saturation point. Pure gum was 

 obtained by precipitation with five volumes of al- 

 cohol in alkaline solution and the specific rota- 

 tion found to be about — 40. Upon hydrolysis 

 with acid, levulose was formed. Its melting point 

 was about 200° C. The gum was considered to 

 have properties identical with levan, previously 

 noted in the bacteriological decomposition of 

 sugars by Greig-Smith and Owen. A new method 

 of determining levan and actual sucrose in suc- 

 rose solutions was established by using the in- 

 vertase method (pure invertase solution prepared 

 from yeast) in conjunction with the usual Clerget 

 procedure. Some data have likewise been ob- 

 tained which indicate the nature of the sugars 

 from which levan is formed. 



The determination of moisture in beet sugar 

 factory products: V. L. Aikin. 



Charles L. Parsons, 

 Secretary 

 (To be continued) 



SCIENCE 



A Weekly Journal devoted to the Advancement of 

 Science, publishing the official notices and pro- 

 ceedings of the American Association for 

 the Advancement of Science 



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LANCASTER, PA. GARRISON, N. Y. 



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