570 
The  Kowmis  Cure. 
f  Am  Jour.  Pharm. 
i    Dec.  1, 1874. 
be  advantageously  employed  for  this  purpose.  While  in  some  sam- 
ples the  same  amount  of  fruit  sugar  is  found  in  the  solution  before 
percipitation  with  lead  as  that  obtained  after  the  addition  of  that 
reagent,  in  others  the  difference  is  very  marked.  The  following  re- 
sults, obtained  from  a  sample  recently  submitted  to  me  for  analysisr 
will  illustrate  this  : — The  sugar  solution  without  treatment  gave  4-90 
per  cent,  of  fruit  sugar,  while  in  a  measured  quantity  of  the  same 
solution  after  precipitation  by  lead  acetate,  the  amount  found  was 
3-27  per  cent. 
The  following  method  of  procedure  answers  very  well,  and  is  em- 
ployed by  me  for  all  sugar  samples  in  which  fruit  sugar  is  to  be  de- 
termined : — 5  grms.  of  the  sample  are  dissolved  in  a  moderate  quan- 
tity of  water,  and  the  insoluble  matter  allowed  to  subside.  The 
supernatant  liquid  is  then  carefully  poured  into  a  100-c.c.  flask,  the 
insoluble  treated  with  more  hot  water,  and  finally  collected  on  a  small 
weighed  filter,  and  the  washing  continued  till  the  flask  is  about  three- 
quarters  full.  To  the  sugar  solution  a  little  solution  of  tribasic  ace- 
tate of  lead  is  added,  the  whole  well  shaken,  and  the  precipitate  al- 
lowed to  subside.  The  clear  liquid  is  then  tested  with  a  drop  or  two 
of  acetate,  and,  if  no  further  precipitate  is  produced,  the  contents  of 
the  flask  are  cooled  to  the  proper  temperature,  and  finally  made  up 
to  the  mark  with  water,  the  whole  being  thoroughly  mixed.  When  the 
precipitate  has  subsided,  the  liquid  is  passed  through  a  dry  filter  into 
a  clean,  dry  glass,  and,  when  sufficient  has  passed  through,  is  ready 
for  the  fruit-sugar  determination.  If  it  is  desired  to  determine  the 
extractive  matters  directly,  the  percipitate  in  the  flask  is  washed  sev- 
eral times  by  decantation,  and  then  placed  on  the  filter  (previously 
weighed),  and  the  washing  continued  till  a  drop  of  the  filtrate  no 
longer  gives  a  precipitate  with  H2S  ;  the  filter  and  contents  are  then 
dried  as  usual.  By  the  above  method  of  treatment,  a  clear,  colorless 
solution  is  always  obtained,  which  renders  the  further  operations  with 
the  copper  liquor  much  easier. — Chem.  News,  August  28th,  1874. 
Chemical  Laboratory,  144  West  Regent  Street,  Glasgow. 
THE  KOUMIS  CURE. 
The  following  interesting  information  respecting  koumis,  the  method 
of  its  preparation,  and  the  koumis  establishments  at  Samara,  is  taken 
from  a  description  written  on  the  spot  by  a  correspondent  of  the  Daily 
News.    Samara  is  the  capital  of  a  comparatively  new  government, 
