294 Journal of 



[Augu3t, 1914] 



There is little difference in the figures except with regard 

 to the acidity, and this is obviously due to the fat turning 

 rancid on keeping. Our freshly extracted sample was hardly 

 acid at all, and the fresh product we bought in the bazaar was 

 much less acid than Hooper's museum sample. 



We separated the non -volatile fatty acids, and these gave 

 the following constants : 



Iodine value 



Mean Molecular weight 



• • 



• * 



27-1 



278 



Our results confirm those reached by Heise l (1897) and Hooper 

 (loc. cit.) that the fat consists almost wholly of oleodistearin. 



The presence of volatile fatty acids in kokam butter has 

 been denied (vide Watt's Dictionary), but from the high saponi- 

 fication value, there was reason to suppose that volatile or 

 soluble fatty acids were really present. On saponifying and 

 distilling with forty per cent sulphuric acid in a current of steam, 

 a quantity of acid was obtained in the distillate equivalent to 

 084 per cent of acetic acid. On standing, this distillate separa- 

 ted giving an oily layer in very small quantity, probably Laurie 

 Acid (vide Heise, loc. cit.)> and a watery layer containing a 

 much larger quantity of the soluble fatty acids. These proved 

 to be free from butyric acid, — and on examination by Duc- 

 laux's fractional distillation method, the proportion distilling 

 with each fraction is shown in the following table : 



Lower Volatile Fatty Acids. 



Figures actually 

 obtained. 



Figures required 

 for a mixture of 

 equal quantities 



of Acetic and 

 Propionic Acids. 



1st & 

 1st to 

 1st to 

 1st to 

 1st to 

 1st to 

 1st to 

 1st to 



1st fraction 



2nd 



3rd 



4th 

 5th 

 6th 

 7th 

 8th 

 9th 



1st to 10th 



• • 



• « 



• • 



% 



9-8 

 18-4 

 27'8 

 39-5 

 48-1 

 56 5 

 651 

 74-9 

 86 9 

 100 



% 

 9-7 



19-6 

 29 3 



39-1 



48-8 

 58 6 

 68-4 



78-4 



88-7 

 100 



The volatile and soluble fatty acids in kokam butter are 



mixture 



mately equal proportions. 



and propionic acid in approxi- 



Arbeiten 



Gesundheitsamte 



