x09) KRAYBILL—ALKALI SALTS 49 
are either nearly neutral or exert a harmful effect. It is quite 
evident that none of the sodium salts exert the marked beneficial 
effects which some of the potassium salts exert. 
Effect of salts upon combustion of lump sugar 
The effect of various salts of the alkalies upon the combustion 
of different kinds of paper and lump sugar was also studied; 
although, as one would expect, due to the dissimilarity of materials, 
the results in these cases were not always parallel with those upon 
tobacco. The results with lump sugar are particularly interesting. 
In each case a small portion of the salt was placed upon the lump 
of sugar and then an attempt was made to burn the sugar by 
touching it to a gas flame. The results obtained are indicated in 
table VIII. 
Discussion _ 
SCHLOSING (15) attributed the favorable action a the organic 
salts of potassium to the fact that they swell up and yield a porous 
mass. NESSLER (12) combated this idea and showed that other 
salts of potassium which do not swell so much when heated also 
have a favorable action in promoting the fire-holding capacity of 
tobacco. GARNER showed that the carbonates of potassium are 
ve just as effective as the organic salts. From resnabhee a - 
_ These results confirm the conclusions « 2 stnasosypaancice 
indicate that the good effects of the potassium salts of organic a 
acids cannot be attributed to the fact that — swell and _ oS 
