80 



A valuable paper on the chemistry of the banana was published by 

 the late M. B. Corenwinder in Annates Agronomiques, ii. (1876), 

 pp. 429-445. His main results were obtained from a bunch of 107 

 fruits sent to him from Brazil in August 1875. The bunch was a month 

 in transit to Lille. He found 34 per cent, of peel and QQ per cent, of 

 pulp. His best fruits, while sound, gave 15*9 per cent, of sucrose and 

 5-9 per cent, of glucose. His worst gave 2*84 per cent, of sucrose and 

 11-84 per cent, of glucose. 



Corenwinder gives the following complete analysis of the pulp 

 (p. 436) :— 



Composition of fresh Brazilian Banana (pulp only). 



Water 



- 



- 72-46 



Sugar (sucrose) 



- 



- 15-90 



Sugar (glucose) 



- 



- 5-90 



Cellulose 





•38 



^Albuminoids - 



. 



- 2-13 



Pectose 



_ 



- 1-25 



Oil, &c. 



- 



•95 



Ash - 





- 1-03 





100-00 



The composition of the ash (from the pulp) is given by Corenwinder. 

 In the opinion of Professor Church, there is a possible mistake here in 

 regard to the magnesium carbonate present. 



Mineral 



SITION of the Ash from t: 



lie Pulp of the Brazilian 



Banana. 





Potassium sulphate - 



- 3-61 



Potassium chloride - 



- 14-34 



Magnesium phosphate 



2*24 



Potassium phosphate 



- 2712 



Potassium carbonate - 



- 41-66 



Magnesium carbonate 



- 6 54? 



Calcium carbonate - 



- 1-17 



Ferric oxide - 



- 0-36 



Silica 



- 2-96 





100-00 



In the South Kensington Museum Handbook on " Food " (reprint of 

 1893, p. 135) Professor Church, F.R.S., gives an analysis of fresh- 

 peeled bananas (apparently nearly, if not quite, ripe). This affords 

 information on a point not already discussed. The bananas were those 

 usually sold in shops in this country, and it is not improbable they were 

 Canary bananas yielded by Musa Cavendishii. 



* Containing nitrogen -34. 



