SCIENCE. 



53 



and thus the apparent anomaly of the same branch of 

 science being grouped both with physics and biology, is 

 explained by the fact that paleontology, in its mere phy- 

 sical relations, deals with substances irrespective of re- 

 la! ions to organisms, while fossilogy belongs to both. 

 So, as already noticed, anthrcposophy belongs both to 

 biology and anthropology. 



Light and sound are grouped together because pro- 

 duced by vibratory motion, yet not affiliated, because the 

 media of vibration differ, the former being ether and the 

 lattei air. The analogy between light and sound is il- 

 lustrated by firing a cannon at a distance from the ob- 

 server ; first the flash ot light is seen at the moment of 

 the explosion of the powder, transmitted at the rate of 

 about 184,000 miles per second, the sound being heard 

 some moments after the flash is seen, transmitted at the 

 rate of about 1 100 feet per second. Neither the luminous 

 bcdy northe sonorous body throwsoffany svbsiance, but 

 only gives an impulse in wave-form causing vibrations of 

 different kinds of substance, — ethereal vibrations exciting 

 the optic nerve causing the sensation of seeing, and aerial 

 vibrations exciting the auditory nerves causing the sen- 

 sation o! hearing. But while acoustics (or photology) is 

 grouped with physical optics, in respect to the cause of 

 their production, both musical sounds and colors are 

 grouped as belonging to esthetics high in the series of 

 science. In these respects both phonology and photo- 

 logy are subordinate sciences. 



Actinism, produced by vibration of ether, like light, but 

 exceeding in rale those which produce the highest color, 

 i. e., exceeding 800 billions of miles per second, is affiliated 

 with electricity, light and heat, and bears relations to two 

 diverse and widely separated sciences — photography and 

 phytology. Its action is both chemical and vital, operat- 

 ing on the sensitive silver in photography (which more 

 properly may be termed actinography), and also consti- 

 tutes the vital agency necessary to excite germination in 

 plants. This latter result has been attributed to the 

 violet ray revealed by the spectrum, but this may be 

 owing to the fact that the higher, inconceivably rapid 

 vibrations of ether producing the actinic rays are not 

 appreciated, and the effects in germination have been 

 associated with the highest rays of light brought within 

 the scope of vision. Actinism is hence grouped gener- 

 ally with sound, and specially with heat, light and elec- 

 tricity, but is subordinate to botany. There are reasons 

 for the theory that electricity is concerned in normal vital 

 action — not only vegetal, but animal. 



Natun has anticipated both the mechanic and the fine 

 arts. Far down in the depths of mineralogy are found 

 gems of rarest beauty— the esthetics of Architecture. 

 Up. in the field of meteorology the clouds are tinted by 

 the sunbeams with a perfection of beauty surpassing the 

 possibilities of the esthetic art of Painting. " The music 

 of the spheres" have for centuries enchanted the votaries 

 of astronomical science, and still challenges the admira- 

 tion of all observers contemplating the perfection t)f that 

 grand choral movement which excels the harmony of a 

 Handel or Beethoven — anticipating the rhythm both of 

 Poetry and Music. Mineralogy, meteorology and astron- 

 omy belong to physical science, but they have furnished 

 elements of the esthetic forms which reason appropriates 

 in the sphere and achievements of the Fine Arts. 



THE ROTATORY POWER OF COMMERCIAL 

 GLUCOSE* 



A METHOD OF DETERMINING THE PERCENTAGE OF 

 REDUCING MATTER BY THE POLARISCOPE. 

 By H. W. WrLEY, Lafayette, Ind. 



In the "trade" the name "grape sugar" is applied 

 only to the solid product obtained from starch. 



* Read before the A, A. A. S., Bcston, 1880. 



The name "glucose " is given to the thick syrup ob- 

 tained from the starch, and which is used in immense 

 quantities in this country for table use and other pur- 

 poses. 



Before being sent into the market it is usually mixed 

 with a little cane sugar syrup to give it color rather 

 than flavor, since the glucose itself is quite or nearly 

 colorless. My polariscope is the holb-schotten variety, 

 and is used with the sodium monochromatic light. The 

 sugar scale is graduated to give 100 divisions, with a 

 tube 200 m.m. long filled with sugar solution cf 26.048 

 grammes in 100 c.c. 



The angular rotation produced is 34°7, which shows a 

 specific rotatory power of 66". 6 for pure cane sugar. 



In all my examinations I took 10 grammes of glucose 

 in 100 c.c, and used tubes of observation 200 m.m. in 

 lengih. 



The average specific gravity of the various glucoses I 

 examined was 1.412, and the number may be taken as a 

 standard. 



In order to conform to the followfng formula; the spe- 

 cific gravity should not vary greatly from this number. 



I have found from a large number of observations 

 that the average reading on the sugar scale for 10 

 grammes of glucose in 100 c.c. is about 50 divisions. 

 When the reading approached 53 divisions I found that 

 the glucose contained nearly 53 per cent, of reducing 

 matter, as determined by Fehling's solution. When the 

 reading fell below 53 the percentage of reducing matter 

 was above 53 and vice versa. I therefore made a large 

 number of observations to determine, if possible, any re- 

 lation between the polariscopic reading and the percent- 

 age of reducing matter. 



I found as a result that the difference between the 

 polariscopic reading and 53 multiplied by 1.25 gave a 

 product which, added to or subtracted from 53, would 

 give the percentage of reducing matter required. When 

 we consider the difficulty of hitting the exact point in 

 using the copper solution, the differences exhibited in the 

 following table will not seem so important. See follow- 

 ing page. 



From a study of the following table we may write the 

 following formula; : 



Let g = percentage of reducing substance, and a = 

 reading of polariscope. 



We may have three cases : 



1st. a = 53. 



2d. a > 53. 



3d. a < 53. 

 For case 1st, g = 53 per cent. 

 Case 2d, g = 53 — (a — 53) 1.25 per cent. 

 Case 3d, g = 53 + (53 — a) 1.25 per cent. 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



No. 14, following table. 



a — 40. 



S = 53 + (53 - 4o) 1.25 = 69.25 per cent. 



No. 16, following table, 

 a = 63.80. 



g = 53 - (63- 8 ° - 53) I.2S = 39-5° per cent. 



In seven of the seventeen cases given the percentage 

 of reducing matter calculated from the polariscope ex- 

 ceeds that given by the copper solution and by a mean 

 amount of .539 per cent. In ten of them it falls short, 

 and by an average of .938. 



In many examinations made subsequent to the above 

 the mean deviation has been even less. 



Hence I can say that the method indicated will give 

 results which in the mean differ by less than the half of 

 one per cent, from the reduction tests. I regard my cal- 

 culations from the polariscope equally as reliable as those 

 made with the copper solution. 



