28 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. LV. No. 1410. 



This solution is clarified with neutral lead acetate, 

 and after removing excess lead with H^S the 

 dialysis is completed against distilled water. The 

 specific rotation of the gum obtained, on the 

 basis of total solids in the purified solution, was 

 — 38.08. 



Chemical properties of the gum from cane 

 affected hy Cohh 's gumming disease and its 

 influence in the sugar-house: 0. ¥. Walton, Jr., 

 AND O. S. Keener. Observations were made in 

 Porto Rico of the effect of a gum similar to that 

 from Cobb's gumming disease on factory opera- 

 tions. A somewhat concentrated solution of the 

 gum purified by filtration and dialysis was found 

 to polarize — O.o6 V. in a 2-decimeter tube. 

 After hydrolysis with 1 per cent, hydrochloric 

 acid this rotation changed to -|- 0. o 1 V. The 

 solution after hydrolysis reduced Fehling's solu- 

 tion strongly but gave no test for pentose. Total 

 solids by the Westphal balance corresponded 

 closely to the amount fouiid present by drying. 

 Although the substance was found to be optically 

 active, it was completely precipitated by basic 

 lead acetate as in the usual method of analysis. 

 On the basis of these and other experiments, it is 

 believed that the presence of this gum in cane 

 juice does not interfere with the laboratory 

 analyses. 



The dietetic value of sugar: W. D. Horne. 

 The extremely high food value of sugar is not 

 adequately reaKzed. As a producer of heat and 

 energy in the body it is cheaper than almost any 

 other food. With its high calorific efficiency, 

 quick digestibility and present low price, it 

 should logically be used in much larger quantities 

 in old world countries where food and money are 

 scarce. Europe averaged 37 pounds per capita 

 per annum before the war. The United States 

 now averages 86, and New Zealand in 1911 aver- 

 aged 130. The United States could increase her 

 consumption 20 to 30 per cent, advantageously 

 and Europe much more. 



Organic and inorganic composition of corn: 

 C. E. G. PoRST AND Miss J. F. Moheing. 



Some new processes in the sorghum, syrup 

 industry: J. J. Willaman. The sorghum syrup 

 industry is being given a new impetus by certain 

 developments in its process of manufacture in a 

 Minnesota factory. The principal ones are: (1) 

 A cleaning machine, which does away with hand 

 labor entirely in the harvesting and cleaning of 

 the cane. (2) Instead of the wasteful settling 

 process of clarification, the whole juice, after 

 defecation with heat and lime, is filtered, infu- 



sorial earth being an ideal filtering medium. 

 (3) Treatment of the filtered juice with acti- 

 vated charcoal produces a light colored, mildly 

 flavored product. (4) Evaporation in a vacuum. 

 (5) The seed heads are dried and constitute a 

 valuable by-product. (6) The leaves and 

 bagasse are continuously fed into the fire-boxes, 

 and constitute 85 per cent, of the fuel. (7) The 

 cleaner has reduced the labor hour cost per 

 gallon of syrup from 1.3 hours to 0.7 hour. (8) 

 The cheapening of the processes, the improvement 

 of chemical control, and the breeding of pedi- 

 greed and improved cane, have inaugurated a new 

 era in sorghum syrup manufacture. 



Note on the first uses of the polariscope in the 

 United States for sugar testing: C. A. Browne. 

 A search of available records indicates that one 

 of Blot's early polariscopes was used in the sugar 

 refinery of J. S. Levering & Co. in Philadelphia 

 as early in 1843. Two Ventzke polariscopes 

 were imported about the same time, one by the 

 chemical firm of Booth & Boye of Philadelphia, 

 and one by Professor E,. S. McCulloh, of Jefferson 

 College, for his research upon sugar and hydrom- 

 eters for the U. S. government. Information is 

 lacking as to the date of the importation of the 

 first Soleil saccharimeter. An old Soleil instru- 

 ment used by Valeour Aime of Louisiana and 

 now in the Louisiana State Museum is probably 

 of about the date 1850. 



Preparation of fructose from invert sugar: 

 T. SwANN Harding. Fructose was prepared by 

 fractional crystallization from invert sugar ob- 

 tained by the hydrolysis of sucrose by invertase. 

 It was found necessarj' to recover by the first 

 crystallization 36 to 37% per cent, of the weight 

 of sucrose taken as glucose. The jdeld of 

 fructose subsequently crystallized amounted to 

 23.5 to 28 per cent, of the weight of sucrose 

 taken. The sirups were mixed with glacial acetic 

 acid before setting aside to crystallize. The 

 fructose was recrystaUized from alcohol. The 

 effect is discussed of various factors, such as 

 acidity and temperature, on the crystallization of 

 fructose. 



Analyses of mixtures of reducing sugars and 

 sucrose with Quisumbing's Fehling solution, 

 method. A. W. Thomas. Analyses of known 

 sugar mixtures containing sucrose give more 

 nearly correct results when using the new Fehling 

 reduction method than has been possible by any 

 of the older reduction methods. (5 



Charles L. Parsons, 



Secretary 



