A  ocfober Pmlm'}  Microscopical  Examination  of  Cloves.  479 
States  and  Canada),  the  general  average  in  the  weight  of  wheats 
from  all  the  before-named  countries  (see  Table  I),  was  found  to  be 
far  below  the  given  standard,  it  being  only  60  87  grains.  However, 
an  average  of  the  heaviest  of  the  specimens,  one  from  each  country, 
came  very  close  to  that  of  the  original  standard,  viz.:  74734,  instead 
of  75  grains. 
This  would  seem  to  show  that  cultivation  and  climatic  conditions, 
during  a  period  of  600  years,  have  exercised  but  little,  if  any,  influ- 
ence on  the  weight  of  selected  wheat. 
A  MICROSCOPICAL  AND  CHEMICAL  EXAMINATION  - 
OF  CLOVES.  /Ov  a 
By  Henry  Kramer. 
More  than  a  year  ago,  a  sample  of  a  spice  was  submitted  to  the 
author,  an  examination  of  which  revealed  the  presence  of  a  large 
quantity  of  starch.  The  question  was  then  asked  :  "  How  much  is 
there  of  this  adulteration?"  A  quantitative  answer  was  desired 
without  a  chemical  analysis.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  present 
work,  and  very  naturally  the  thought  arose — Is  it  possible  to  obtain 
quantitative  as  well  as  qualitative  results  with  the  microscope  ?  The 
results  are  embodied  in  this  paper — which  is  intended,  however, 
merely  as  a  preliminary  paper — on  the  comparison  of  quantitative 
microscopical  with  chemical  examinations,  and,  it  is  hoped,  will  re- 
veal the  possibilities  of  research  in  this  direction.  At  the  same 
time  are  given  the  results  of  analysis  of  some  commercial  samples 
of  clove  oil  and  cloves  by  Thorns'  method  (with  perhaps  a  slight 
modification)  of  determining  the  eugenol  in  the  form  of  a  benzoyl 
compound. 
Extraction  of  Oil  from  Cloves. — 10  grams  of  the  powder  were 
mixed  with  10  grams  of  dried  calcium  sulphate,  wrapped  in  filter- 
paper  and  extracted  in  a  Soxhlet  apparatus  by  means  of  petrolic 
ether.  Some  of  the  ether  was  recovered,  and  the  remainder  was 
siphoned  off  by  means  of  a  siphon  and  a  suction  of  air.  The  oil 
thus  obtained  had  a  viscous  appearance,  and  on  the  addition  of 
alcohol,  about  0-i6  per  cent,  of  a  white  resinous  compound  separa- 
ted, which  on  the  filter  assumed  the  form  of  a  very  fine  gauze.  To 
this  filtered  solution,  from  8  to  10  cubic  centimetres  alcoholic  potash 
solution  (1  cubic  centimetre  =  0-09856  KOH)  were  added.  The 
