July 21, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



81 



teid Avas all decomposed. From the ex- 

 tract thus obtained, lysine was separated 

 as picrate, and the picrate transposed 

 into the chloride. Both salts were iden- 

 tical with the corresponding salts of lysine 

 prepared from gelatin and from fibrin. 

 Thus the presence of a hexone base in the 

 bacterial cell has been established, and one 

 more point of resemblance has been found 

 betAveen bacterial and other proteid. 



The Testing of Wheat Flour for Com- 

 mercial Purposes: Harry Snyder. 

 The points noted or discussed Avere: the 

 lack of adequate standards for commercial 

 testing of flour; the difficulty of adopting 

 tests suitable to all types of flour ; the in- 

 fluence of total proteids on size of loaf and 

 commercial grade; the application and 

 value of giiadin nitrogen determinations; 

 the value of the ash results in determining 

 the grade of a flour or in detecting the 

 mixing of grades ; the value of color in de- 

 termining the commercial grade of a flour, 

 and the influence of the bleaching of flours ; 

 and the relation of high bread-making 

 value to nutritive value. 



The joint use of baking and chemical 

 tests Avas recommended. The chemical 

 tests can determine the grade, as patent, 

 straight or clear, while the baking tests can 

 determine the bread-making value of the 

 sample. 



The Occurrence of Extractives in Apple 

 Peel: H. C. Gore. 



The Pectocelluloses of the Apple: W. D. 

 BiGELOw and H. C. Gore. 



The Analysis of Sugar Mixtures: C. A. 

 Broavne, Jr. (By title.) 



Chemical Preservatives Used in Food Prod- 

 ucts. Are They Harmful f E. W. Duck- 



AVALL. 



Attention AA^as draAA^n to the difference 

 between the effect of substances on the 



growth of bacteria and their effect on the 

 action of digestive ferments. 



Experiments have shoAvn that salicylic 

 and benzoic acids in strong solution do not 

 impede peptic digestion more than other 

 substances in a mixed diet, and that the 

 feeding of these preservatives to guinea 

 pigs and rabbits has no action on their 

 groAA'th or organs. It should be noted, 

 however, that the duration of the trial was 

 rather short, while the number of individ- 

 ual tests Avas small. 



Becent Work on Columhium and Tanta- 

 lum: R. D. Hall. 



On the Oxidation of Hydrazine: A. W. 



Broa\"ne. 



"When a solution of hydrazine sulphate 

 is treated Avith hydrogen peroxide, potas- 

 sium chlorate, potassium persulphate, am- 

 monium metavanadate or lead dioxide in 

 acid solution, hydronitric acid is formed 

 in very appreciable quantities. 



In acid solution potassium permanganate 

 and potassium dichromate oxidize hydra- 

 zine sulphate, forming in some cases a trace 

 of hydronitric acid, in others, none at all. 



Certain other oxidizing agents, including 

 potassium iodate, bromine AA^ater and red 

 lead, yield no hydronitric acid whatever. 



The principal reaction involved in the 

 oxidation of hydrazine sulphate is ex- 

 pressed by the equation: 



NoH, + 20 = N, + 2H2O. 



The equation for the reaction in Avhich 

 hydronitric acid is formed may be written 

 3NJI, -f 50 = 2HN3 ■+ 5H.0. 



The two reactions appear to take place 

 simultaneously. 



In the light of this AA^ork it is apparent 

 that when an oxidizing agent is to be used 

 in the quantitative determination of hydra- 

 zine, or Avhen hydrazine sulphate is to be 

 used in the quantitative determination of 

 an oxidizing agent, care must be taken to 



