ADeSef,hit98m-}        Cane  Sugar  in  Official  Syrups.  595 
the  blue  color  of  the  latter  is  turned  green,  but  even  on  prolonged 
boiling  only  a  slight  precipitate  of  cuprous  oxide  is  found. 
Syrup  of  lactucarium  was  also  examined  in  the  above  manner 
with  the  identical  results. 
Syrup  of  orange  peel,  U.S. P.,  showed,  on  standing  six  months,  a 
percentage  of  only  -33  per  cent,  of  inverted  sugar,  and  a  specimen 
prepared  from  spirit  of  orange  showed,  one  month  after  preparation, 
but  a  feeble  reducing  power. 
After  six  months,  no  material  increase  was  noticeable. 
Syrup  of  tolu  was  examined  repeatedly,  the  percentage  in  all 
cases  being  low. 
One  sample  showed  -4  per  cent,  on  standing  three  months. 
In  simple  syrup  the  highest  inverted  sugar  percentage  found  was 
•45  in  a  three-months  old  specimen,  prepared  by  cold  percolation. 
The  statement  that  continued  boiling  will  invert  the  cane  sugar 
in  simple  syrup,  the  writer  has  been  unable  to  verify,  unless  free 
acid  was  present. 
The  following  deductions  may  be  briefly  considered: 
By  the  presence  of  directly  fermentable  sugars  in  acid  syrups,  a 
favorable  condition  for  the  liability  of  rapid  fermentation  must  be 
taken  into  consideration  by  the  pharmacist. 
Such  syrups,  therefore  require  special  attention  concerning  pres- 
ervation. 
The  physician  is  confronted  by  an  analogous  difficulty,  namely, 
the  likelihood  of  rapid  decomposition  in  the  stomach  with  conse- 
quent gastric  disturbance. 
An  objection  to  syrup  of  hydriodic  acid,  made  by  a  physician, 
was  the  above  complaint,  and  was  attributed  at  the  time  to  the  lib- 
eration of  iodine. 
The  above  results,  however,  convince  the  writer  that  inverted 
sugar  was  the  disturbing  factor. 
In  plant  chemistry  a  field  for'  speculation  is  opened  by  the  ques- 
tion :  What  influence  have  organic  acids  in  the  formation  of  the 
glucose  regarded  as  a  normal  plant  constituent  ? 
Phosphorus  Manufacture. — Phosphorus  is  now  produced  (Scient.  Amer., 
October  8,  1898)  by  means  of  the  electrical  furnace.  The  method  consists  in 
heating  a  mixture  of  phosphate  of  lime  and  coke,  which  are  first  reduced  to  a 
powder.  When  the  mass  becomes  pasty,  the  openiugs  of  the  furnace  are 
sealed  except  one,  through  which  the  vapor  passes.  The  vapor  is  collected 
and  distilled. 
