NOTES ON COCONUT, COPRA, AND COCONUT OIL,. 125 



Only one bacterium, CBl, causes any ai^preciable loss in total weight. 

 The molds destroy a certain jjereentage of the oil, and the greater propor- 

 tion of the diminution in weight is due to this cause. These losses vary 

 from 0.62 to 1.3S gram, whicli figures represent 8.9 to 19,9 per cent of 

 the original weight of oil and they are in each case accompanied by 

 hydrolysis of the oil to form fatty acids and glycerine, the final percentage 

 of free acid varying from 2 in the case of "W51," to r24.7 per cent with 

 "Wi3,li." 



There seems to be no relation between the percentage of free acid 

 present and the total oil destroyed at the same time, the tubes containing 

 the highest and the lowest percentage of free acid showing practically 

 the same loss of oil. On the one hand, only one bacterium, "CBl," 

 caused diminution of oil and this only to the extent of 0.3 gram, which 

 is less than that brought about by the mold with the weakest action. 

 Loss in oil is not accompanied by hydrolj'sis in this case. On the other 

 hand, one bacterium, "CB2," appears even to have caused a slight gain 

 in total oil. The sugar is almost completely destroyed by all molds and 

 by bacterium "CBl." The undetermined matter shows a decided gain 

 wherever mold action has fallen place, this result being undoubtedly due 

 to the weight of the mold itself. 



Bacteria in all cases but one have produced no change in this con- 

 stituent. "CBl" has caused a loss of 0.26 gram. 



The results given above, when applied to the question of the diminu- 

 tion in value of commercial copra would render it certain that such copra, 

 if moldy, has suffered a loss in total oil, of course not in all probability 

 as great as I noticed in some cases (19.9 per cent), for my copras were 

 jDlaced under the most favorable conditions for the maximum of mold 

 action, but nevertheless this change must amount to a sufficient quantity 

 to be considered in the purchase of copra which has suffered from the 

 action of molds. 



Such materials undoubtedly can not give as good a yield of oil as 

 others which have been carefully dried and presei*ved. However, another 

 factor must also be considered. Poorly dried and preserved copras, if 

 a sufficient quantity of water (above 15 per cent) is present, suffer from 

 bacterial and not from mold action;^ in which event no diminution of 

 oil would be observed, but nevertheless bacteria so disintegrate and change 

 the copra tlrat a slimy, soft mass, difficult to work so as to procure pure 

 oil reasonably free from acid, results. A bad odor also frequently ac- 

 companies such copras. In the Philippines a large amount of copra is 

 dried by means of open fires in pits, the coconut meat is placed in 

 bamboo gratings above, the fuel being the husks of the nuts. These 



■■This is clearly set forth in my paper on this sul)ject in This Journal (1906), 

 1, .58. 



