June, *18] 
DOANE: STORED FOOD INSECTS 
319 
with any of these insects, even if it has been sifted or thoroughly 
rebolted before being used. The ordinary sifting removes all of the 
insects, at least all of the larger ones, but it unfortunately does not 
remove all of the fecal matter. Only rebolting will do this. Some be¬ 
lieve that this fecal matter may contain enough poison to affect more 
or less seriously anyone using such contaminated flour. Others, and 
among them some prominent chemists and toxicologists, do not think 
any harm whatever could come from using bread made from even 
badly infested flour. 
I am told that the results of some recent experiments seem to indi¬ 
cate that the poison, if any is present, may be due to the urates of the 
insects infesting the grain or flour. Cleaning the grain or sifting or 
even rebolting the flour would not remove the danger from this 
source, if it really exists. 
This seems to be a subject worthy of further investigation and a 
chemist and an entomologist working together might be able to obtain 
some interesting and valuable results. 
President G. P. Weldon: This paper by Professor Doane is 
now open to discussion. 
R. E. Campbell: Is the HCN gas collecting in moist fruit products 
a real or an imaginary danger? 
R. W. Doane: There seems to be some claim in fact for such a 
statement. 
G. P. Weldon: How much material is necessary? 
R. S. Woglum: Three ounces to 1,000 cubic feet has been recom¬ 
mended in a publication by Chittenden. Experiments carried on some 
time ago at Kansas Station included analyses and baking qualities of 
the product after fumigation. 
G. P. Gray: I have gone into the records of the Kansas Station and 
as I recall there is no definite statement about flour absorbing HCN. 
While I believe there is no danger, still it is a matter that must be 
seriously considered. 
H. T. Fernald: There would be a difference whether or not the 
product is cooked after fumigation. 
R. E. Campbell: It seems to me there is possibility of developing 
in this connection insect proof containers. 
H. J. Quayle: I am sorry that I did not hear all of the paper, but 
it seems to me the question of penetration is important in this con¬ 
nection, and as I understand it carbon bisulphide penetrates such 
material as grain and the like better than hydrocyanic acid. 
G. P. Gray: The objection on account of danger of using carbon 
