88 
K. OSH IMA. 
Qualitative Tests. 
Qualitative reactions were examined at the outset of the investigation, 
to get a general idea about the chief constituents of the rush-pith. 
Microchemical tests were applied to determine the presence of starch, 
reducing sugar, free cellulose and lignin. None of the reactions charac- 
teristic of those compounds was shown. The absence of lignin was rather 
unexpected and repeated trials were made with phloroglucin-hydrochloric- 
acid, 1 ’ anilin sulphate, and permanganate-reaction, 21 3 with a negative result 
in every case. According to Browne’s test (/.c.), the pith of maize, as well 
as that of elder, shows lignin reactions very distinctly. 
A small amount of the substance was heated in a test tube, with 
dilute hydrochloric acid (1 : 3) for about 10 minutes and then filtered. The 
filtrate gave the characteristic absorption-spectrum of pentose, upon warm- 
ing with phloroglucin and hydrochloric acid. On distilling the substance 
with hydrochloric acid of 1.06 sp. gr., a distillate was obtained which gave 
characteristic furfurol reaction with anilin acetate. The distillate was also 
tested for the presence of methyl furfurol by the spectrum reaction of the 
author and TOLLENS. 3> • To about 10 c.c. of the distillate, a little phloroglu- 
cin and equal volume of concentrated hydrochloric acid were added and 
filtered after standing for 5 minutes. The clear filtrate obtained showed 
characteristic absorption-spectrum of methyl furfurol. Both pentosan and 
methyl pentosan are therefore present in the rush-pith. 
Zinc-chloride-iodin solution was used to test for free cellulose. When 
applied directly to sections of the pith, the result was negative, as already 
stated. Pentosan-free fiber prepared after Konig’S method 4 ' gave at once 
a dark blue color with the solution, showing that the cellulose here was 
in the free form. The cellulose in rush-pith evidently holds pentosan and 
methyl pentosan in combination. 
1) Hadromal-reaction of Czapek — Hopfe-Seylers Zs. physiol. Chem., Strassburg. 27 (1899) 
p. 141. 
2) Mäule — Verhalten verholz. Memb. gegen Kalium-permanganat, Habilitationsschrift, Stuttgart,, 
1901. 
3) Oshima u. Tollens — Berlin, Ber. D. chem. Ges. 34 (1901) ppft 1425-1426. 
4) König — Zs. Unters. Nahrungsmittel, Berlin, 1 (1898) pp. 3-16. By this method methyl 
pentosan is removed as well. Details on this point will be published later. 
