Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Sept.,  19  iS. 
Correspondence. 
675 
black  precipitate  in  very  dilute  form  may  appear  brown  or  yellow. 
The  zinc  sulphide  wool  fibers  are  sensitive  to  0.001  Mgm.  of  copper. 
(E.  M.  Chamot  and  H.  J.  Cole,  Journ.  Ind.  and  Eng.  Chem.,  through 
the  Analyst.) 
Fat  from  Rice  Husks. — Prior  to  the  war  rice  husks,  contain- 
ing proportion  of  bran,  were  exported  from  Italy  mainly  to  Switzer- 
land and  Germany,  where  they  were  bought  on  the  combined  con- 
tent of  proteins  and  fat  and  used  as  a  fertilizer.  The  "titre"  of 
the  best  samples  ranged  from  24  to  26  per  cent.,  and  that  of  inferior 
qualities  from  15  to  16  per  cent.  As  a  rule  the  husks  yield  about  6.5 
per  cent,  of  crude  oil,  which  frequently  contains  a  high  proportion 
of  free  fatty  acids  owing  to  enzymic  action.  A  specimen  of  the  fat 
extracted  with  petroleum  spirit  had  the  following  characters :  Melt- 
ing-point, 25 0  to  260  C. ;  acid  value,  90;  saponification  value,  186; 
Hehner  value,  95.2;  iodine  value,  99.7;  glycerol,  4.95  per  cent,  and 
unsaponifiable  matter,  3.2  per  cent.  The  oil  obtained  by  expression 
(at  300  atmos.),  however,  was  a  greenish-yellow  oil  with  the  fol- 
lowing values:  sp.  gr.,  0.918;  acid  value,  13.8;  saponification  value, 
179.4;  Hehner  value,  94.3;  glycerol,  9.03  per  cent.;  and  unsapon- 
ifiable matter,  0.7  per  cent.  The  acidity  of  the  oil  varies  with  the 
nature  of  the  rice,  the  season,  and  the  state  of  preservation.  In 
order  to  obtain  a  less  acid  oil  richer  in  glycerol,  it  would  be  neces- 
sary to  express  the  husk  immediately  after  separation  or  to  destroy 
the  enzymes  by  heat.  A  sample  of  the  press  cake  had  the  following 
composition:  Water,  14.60;  nitrogen,  2.73;  and  fat,  8.6  per  cent. 
(F.  Garelli,  Annali  Chim.  Applic.,  1917,  8,  1 09-1 14  through  the 
Analyst,  April,  191 8.) 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
OCEAN  CABLE  SIXTY  YEARS  OLD. 
Four  Attempts  Required  to  Get  Line  in  Working  Order. 
The  first  Atlantic  cable  was  completed  sixty  years  ago  on  August 
16.  From  Trinity  Bay,  Newfoundland,  to  Valentia,  Ireland,  the 
first  words  shot  through  the  ocean  were : 
"Europe  and  America  are  united  by  telegraphy.  Glory  to  God 
in  the  Highest ;  on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward  men." 
