70 
IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 
The preceding table of analyses, with outline description of 
naethods employed, indicate somewhat the difficulties that must 
be overcome in order to obtain a satisfactory analysis of honey. 
The intricacies present themselves in the separation of dextrose 
and levulose, the total determination of moisture, and also the 
questions as to the presence of dextrin, maltose, or other 
sugars, organic matter not sugar, acids and volatile matter. 
For special study upon some of the above problems one of the 
honeys analysed, namely. No. II, was taken. The object of the 
special study on this particular sample being that of determin- 
ing, if possible, its total composition, by the application of 
either old or new methods. 
The determinations of total reducing sugar with Fehling 
solution, as previously described, gave results very satisfactory. 
Sample No. II gave results as follows on three determinations: 
1 grm. honey contained .7706 grm. Red. sug*ar=77.06 per cent. 
1 grm. honey contained .7701 grm. Red. sugar=77.01 per cent. 
1 grm. honey contained .7654 grm. Red. sugar=76.54 per cent. 
Mean per cent of Red. sugar 76.87. 
The desire for a complete separation of the reducing sugars 
into levulose and dextrose, caused me to study very carefully 
several methods. 
Allen’s^ slaked lime method, in which the levulose is brought 
down at 0 ^ C as a calcium compound, while the calcium com- 
pound of dextrose remains soluble, was a partial success. The 
dextrose was ascertained in that way, but the continuous failure 
to estimate the levulose after its precipitation, due to partial 
loss of rotary power, also the difficulty of completely separat- 
ing it from its calcium compound, caused me to discard the 
method and seek another. 
Sieben’sf process, in vrhich he destroys the levulose with 
acid, gave variable results. The temperature of boiling water 
in a six times normal acid honey solution destroys, not only the 
levulose, but part of all other sugars as well. 
In another process, published by Wiechmann and originated 
by Winter f, the solution of honey is treated with an ammoniacal 
solution of lead- acetate which precipitates lead compounds 
of dextrose and levulose. In this method the dextrose 
is separated with CO^ and estimated as dextrose, while the 
lead of the levulose compound of lead which remains after 
^Commercial Organic Anal. Allen, Part I. p. 391. 
'('Sugar Analysis, Wiechmann, p. 59 and p. 60. 
