90 
K. OSHIMA. 
methyl furfurol. The former was tested with anilin acetate, the latter by 
the spectrum reaction of the author and TOLLENS ( l.c .). Calculated 
amount of phloroglucin was added to the distillate, to precipitate all of the 
furfurol and methyl furfurol present as phloroglucides. On the following day 
the mixture of the phloroglucides was filtered, and weighed after drying. The 
methyl furfurol phloroglucide was then extracted with 95 % alcohol, at about 
6o°, and the residue dried and weighed. This gives the weight of furfurol 
phloroglucide, while the difference shows the amount of methyl furfurol 
phloroglucide. For the calculation of pentosan from furfurol phloroglucide, 
KrÖBER’S formula 1 2 ' was used ; for that of methyl pentosan from methyl 
furfurol phloroglucide, the formula of ELLETT and TOLLENS (l.c.) was 
applied. 
It is interesting to compare the composition of the pith of the rush 
with that of maize-pith and elder-pith. 
In 100 parts of dry substance. 
Rush-pith. 
Maize-pith. 2) 
Elder-pith.: 
Ash 
473 
4.48 
i-93 
Protein 
1.86 
3-31 
2.50 
Fat 
7.05 
1.40 
1. 19 
Crude fiber 
3572 
42.41 
69.05 
Cellulose 
27.30 
39-93 
41.96 
Pentosan 
3772 
27.04 
18.81 
Methyl pentosan 
3-04 
none 
present 
Considerable differences are to be noticed in the amounts of pentosan 
and cellulose, in different kinds of pith. Pentosan is richest in rush-pith and 
least in elder-pith, while the amount of cellulose is in reversed order. 
Noticeable is also the large amount of fat (ether extract) in rush-pith. In 
general, the composition of rush-pith approaches more closely to that of 
maize-pith than that of elder-pith. This is what we should expect, since 
both rush and maize belong to Monocotyledonae, while elder is a Dicoty- 
ledonous plant. 
1) Hoppe-Seylers Zs. physiol. Chem., Strassburg. 36 (1903), Anhang. 
2) Browne and Tollens [l.c.) 
