366 
Analysis  of  Barley. 
A.m.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1884. 
ANALYSIS  OF  BARLEY. 
By  Frank  X.  Moerk,  Ph.G. 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
Best  Canada  barley  was  reduced  to  a  fine  powder  and  treated  accord- 
ing to  the  outline  given  by  Mr.  H.  B.  Parsons  ("  Amer.  Jour.  Phar., 
1880/'  p.  210). 
Moisture. — 5  Gm.  of  the  powder  wen;  placed  in  a  weighed  porcelain 
crucible  and  dried  in  a  current  of  hot  air  at  110°  C.  until  it  ceased  to 
lose  weight.    Loss  0*584  Gm.,  or  11*68  per  cent. 
Ash. — 5  Gm.  were  ignited  at  a  low-red  heat  until  all  of  the  carbon 
was  consumed.  The  ash  amounted  to  0*134  Gm.,  or  2*68  per  cent. 
Of  this  ash  0*061  Gm.  was  soluble  in  water;  0*044  Gm.  in  hydro- 
chloric acid;  0*017  Gm.  in  solution  of  soda;  and  0*012  Gm.  was  in- 
soluble. 
Nitrogen  Estimation. — 2  Gm.  of  the  barley  were  mixed  in  a  mortar 
with  sufficient  soda-lime  to  fill  two-thirds  of  a  24-inch  combustion 
tube.  A  small  quantity  of  soda-lime  was  first  placed  in  the  tube, 
then  the  above  mixture,  and  lastly,  enough  soda-lime  to  fill  the 
tube  to  within  one  inch  of  the  end.  This  last  quantity  was  used 
to  rinse  the  mortar.  For  the  purpose  of  collecting  and  estimating 
the  nitrogen  which  is  given  off,  in  combination  with  hydrogen, 
as  ammonia,  two  solutions  were  prepared :  No.  I,  an  aqueous  solution 
of  hydrogen  sulphate  containing  4*9  Gm.  H2S04  in  100  Cc. ;  No. 
II,  an  alkaline  solution  containing  0*08  Gm.  sodium  hydrate  in 
100  Cc.  The  equivalents  of  hydrogen  sulphate,  sodium  hydrate, 
hydrogen  nitride  and  nitrogen  are  49,  40,  17  and  14,  respectively.  As 
1  Cc.  No.  I  contains  0*049  Gm.  hydrogen  sulphate,  it  requires  0*04 
Gm.  sodium  hydrate  — 50  Cc.  No.  II — or  0*17  Gm.  hydrogen  nitride 
to  neutralize  it.  As  every  0*017  Gm.  hydrogen  nitride  contains  0  014 
Gm.  nitrogen,  by  multiplying  the  number  of  Cc.  neutralized  by 
hydrogen  nitride  by  0*014  Gm.  there  is  obtained  the  amount  of 
nitrogen.  10  Cc.  of  No.  I  having  been  measured  into  the  nitrogen 
bulbs,  air-tight  connections  were  made  between  these  and  the  com- 
bustion tube.  The  latter  was  placed  in  a  charcoal  furnace  and  fire 
applied  to  the  interior  extremity  of  the  tube  and  gradually  moved 
towards  the  other  end.  When  the  whole  tube  was  red-hot  and  gas 
ceased  to  escape,  the  point  of  the  tube  was  broken  and  a  little  air 
