174 A. A. RAMSAY. 



Unfortunately at the time these jams were prepared, the 

 boiling points of the various mixtures was not noted. The 

 temperature was certainly never above that reached in 

 making jam on the manufacturing scale, and there was no 

 possibility of caramelisation. 



On examining the foregoing four jams for formalin (by 

 distilling a portion faintly acidified and testing the distillate) 

 reactions were obtained in all cases — in the case of the 

 orange jam the reaction was particularly strong. 



Further investigation as to the amounts of formalde- 

 hyde present are being carried out, and the results will be 

 embodied in a future paper. The experiment also shows 

 the unsuitability of the method of examining jams for 

 formaldehyde, by dissolving 50 grams sample in 250 cc. 

 water as recommended by Leach, 1 acidifying with phosphoric 

 acid, distilling and testing the first 30 cc. distillate for 

 formalin. After 125 cc. distillate has been obtained, further 

 distillation yields a distillate containing still larger quan- 

 tities of the aldehyde. 



The presence of formaldehyde in various foods has been 

 noted by Perrier,' 2 who finds in cider "2 to '33 parts form- 

 aldehyde per 100,000, and in bacon, ham, sausage, herring, 

 etc., amounts varying from *03 to *003 parts per 100,000. 

 In jams examined by the author the amounts of formaldehyde 

 have varied from 1*3 to 14 parts per 100,000. 



The experiment (2) mentioned previously, was repeated 

 with the object of applying other confirmatory tests for 

 the formaldehyde present, by the Gayon-Saglien-Mohler 

 reagent, 3 Philhastry's reagent, 4 Hehner — aqueous phenol, 5 



1 Food inspection and analyses, A.. E. Leach — John "Wiley & Sons, New- 

 York. 1904, p. 706. 



2 Presence of Formalin in Certain Foods, Perrier, Compt. Rend. 1906, 

 143, 600-603. 



3 Analysis of Alcohol and Brandy, M. X. Rocques — Rev. Internat. de 

 fals. arid d'anal. des Matieres Alimentaires, April 1907, p. 49. 



4 Tests and Reagents, Cohn.— John Wiley & Son, New York, 1903, 236. 



5 Ibid., p. 121. 



