80 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. LV, No. 1412 



tained. The 'bisulfite method of purification is 

 capable of general application in the purification 

 of pseudo-ionones, giving yields of about 85 per 

 cent, and chemically pure products. New ionones 

 have been syntliesised from methyl propyl ketone 

 and acetophenone. 



The role of celluloses in plant life: E. W. 

 Thatcher. Celluloses are classified according to 

 their chemical composition into three groups: 

 the hemi-eelluloses or pseudo-celluloses ; the 

 normal celluloses ; and the compound celluloses. 

 Hemi-celluloses are amorphous polj'saccharides 

 which are probably reserve carbohydrates depos- 

 ited in the structural, or cell-wall, materials rather 

 than in storage organs. Normal celluloses are 

 amorphous forms of polysaccharides having an 

 empirical formula similar to that of starch; but 

 exhibiting a characteristic fibrous structure 

 instead of the granular structure characteristic 

 of starches. They are true cell-wall, structural 

 material; they can be hydrolyzed by certain bac- 

 teria but probably have no nutritive function in 

 higher plants. Compound celluloses are either 

 colloidal complexes or definite chemical com- 

 pounds of true cellulose with some encrusting 

 material which serves to stiffen and harden the 

 celuUar structure and convert it into ' ' wood. ' ' 

 They are among the most inert plant compounds 

 and probably have no role other than that of 

 adding strength and stiffness to the stems or 

 other tissues of plants. 



The determination of the ' ' iromine figure ' ' or 

 ' ' chlorine factor ' ' of pulp and the utilization of 

 these quantities in bleaching: Alfred Tingle. 

 The extent to which bromine solutions, approxi- 

 mately decinormal, act on cellulose and on un- 

 bleached sulphite spruce pulp, has been investi- 

 gated. Accurate measurements could only be 

 made when the material was brought into solu- 

 tion before treatment with bromine. Under the 

 experimental conditions used, it was found that 

 bromine did not act on cellulose to any appreciable 

 extent in an hour, but that it acted on unbleached 

 sulphite pulp in stages, one of which was com- 

 pleted in 30 minutes. From measurements of this 

 action a quantity was found, constant for each 

 sample of pulp, which bears a definite and simple 

 relation to the chlorine-consumption in bleaching 

 the pulp. 



The alleged absorption of aluminum from solu- 

 tions of aluminum sulphate hy cellulose: Alfred 

 Tingle. Both neutral and basic solutions of 

 aluminum sulphate were brought in contact under 

 various conditions with cellulose in the form of 



(a) acid- washed filter paper, (6) bleached sul- 

 phite spruce pulp. By the methods employed, no 

 change in the aluminum content of the solutions 

 could be detected, except when a pulp was used 

 which contained calcium compounds and gave a 

 strongly alkaline reaction to water, with which it 

 was extracted. The deduction is made that 

 absorption does not occur to any appreciable 

 extent, and that the phenomena which have been 

 accounted for by this cause are due to other 

 causes. 



The distillation of methoxyl groups in wood 

 distillation products: L. F. Hawlet and Subra- 

 MANTA Altar. It has been reported that the 

 treatment of wood with sodium carbonate pre- 

 vious to distillation increases the yield of methyl 

 alcohol. The source of this increase has now 

 been determined. Maple wood containing 6.09 

 per cent, methoxyl when distilled gave products 

 with percentages of methoxyl as shown in column 

 1 of the table. On distilling the wood after treat- 

 ment with 1 per cent, sodium carbonate the 

 methoxyl distribution is as shown in column 2 of 

 the table and the increase of methyl alcohol is 

 seen to come partly from the dissolved tar and 

 partly from the charcoal. The proportion of 

 total methoxyl in the original wood recovered in 

 the distillation product remains about the same. 



PERCENTAGE OF METHOXYL BASED ON THE "WEIGHT 

 OP THE WOOD DISTILLED 



Original Wood treated 



wood. with Na^CO^ 



Charcoal 0.285 0.044 



Settled tar 0.517 0.588 



Dissolved tar 0.303 0.173 



Pyroligneous acid 1.617 1.953 



Gas (methane) 1.306 1.468 



Total 4.028 4.226 



Acetic ether as a solvent for nitro cellulose and 

 cellulose acetate: H. F. Wilkie. In discussing 

 acetic ether as a solvent for nitro cellulose and 

 cellulose acetate a review is made of the subject 

 of cellulose esters solvents in general. The pro- 

 duction of high grade anhydrous ethyl acetates 

 or acetic ether as the pure product is designated 

 and results obtained in experimenting with it as 

 a solvent of cellulose esters point to the strong 

 possibility of it taking the place of amyl acetate. 

 It can be procured in large quantities and the 

 ultimate supply is unlimited. Data is given to 

 support the following claims: It is neutral in 

 reaction and remains so on long exposure to air, 

 light or moisture, and is non-hydroscopic. Acetic 

 ether is a powerful solvent of uitro-eellulose and 

 a good solvent for cellulose acetate. It works 



