456 
Current  Literature. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pliarm. 
^       June,  1 918. 
the  acids  in  the  usual  way ;  the  formic  acid  must,  of  course,  be 
determined  separately.  (P.  Szeberenyi  Z  anal.  Chem.,  1918,  56, 
505-506.    From  the  Journal  of  the  Society  of  Chemical  Industry.) 
Comparative  Examination  of  Pure  and  Commercial  Ixu- 
lins. — Under  the  influence  of  diastases  inulin  is  decomposed  within 
the  chicory  root,  with  the  formation  of  new  compounds,  termed 
inulides.  These  do  not  reduce  Fehling's  solution,  but  are  attacked 
by  the  hydrolytic  diastases  in  yeasts,  which  transform  them  into  fer- 
mentable reducible  sugars.  On  the  other  hand,  pure  inulin  is  not 
attacked  by  active  yeasts  or  by  S.  Pombe.  Comparative  tests  with 
samples  of  pure  and  commercial  inulins,  in  which  1  Gm.  of  the 
sterilized  samples  was  treated  with  25  Cc.  of  yeast  water  of  dif- 
ferent origin,  showed  that  the  method  was  capable  of  detecting  the 
presence  of  inulides.  Pure  inulin  yielded  0.007  per  cent,  of  alcohol, 
whilst  commercial  French  inulin  yielded  0.045  Per  cent.,  and  German 
inulin  0.3 10  per  cent,  of  alcohol  when  fermented  with  S.  Pombe, 
— J.  Wolff  and  B.  Geslin.  {Ann.  Chim.  anal.,  1917,  22,  241-242.) 
From  The  Analyst. 
Constituents  of  Formosan  Lemon  Grass  Oil. — The  terpene 
isolated  from  lemon  grass  oil  from  Formosa  gave,  on  reduction  with 
sodium  and  alcohol,  a  derivative  corresponding  closely  with  dihydro- 
myrcene.  yielding  dihydromyrcene  tetrabromide,  m.  pt.  8/°-88°  C. 
It  was  further  reduced  by  hydrogen  and  platinum  to  2.6-dimethyloc- 
tane.  On  oxidation  with  alkaline  permanganate  it  yielded  succinic 
and  oxalic  acids.  The  identification  of  this  terpene  with  myrcene  is 
considered  complete.  In  addition,  the  oil  contains  an  aldehydic  sub- 
stance, other  than  citral,  which  has  not  yet  been  isolated.  (/.  Chem. 
Iud.,  Tokyo.)  From  The  Journal  of  the  Society  of  Chemical  Indus- 
try, February  15,  191 8. 
Delicate  Reaction  of  the  Xitriles. — When  a  solution  of  a 
nitrile  (  aliphatic  or  aromatic  )  is  treated  with  an  equal  volume  of 
hydrogen  peroxide  (12  vols,  per  cent.)  and  2  or  3  drops  of  a  5  per 
cent,  solution  of  ferric  chloride,  hydrogen  cyanide  is  produced  on 
boiling.  This  can  be  detected  by  test  papers  made  by  treating  filter- 
paper  with  picric  acid  (1  per  cent.),  drying,  and  then  immersing  the 
