^^i^lim^"^'}  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals,  353 
the  latter  in  connection  with  isinglass  is  an  excellent  material  for  the 
clarification  of  the  finer  wines,  for  which  the  ordinary  tannin  cannot 
be  used.— ^er.  d.  d.  Chem.  aeseUsch.  1871,  442—446. 
An  Analysis  of  a  Himalaya  Tea  has  been  made  by  Ph.  Zoller. 
The  tea  had  been  presented  to  Prof.  Liebig,  and  consisted  of  very 
young  leaves.  It  contained  4*95  per  cent,  water  and  5*63  ashes, 
of  which  latter  39*22  per  cent,  was  potassa,  14*55  phosphoric  acid, 
4*38  oxide  of  iron,  1*03  oxide  of  manganium,  and  only  4*24  lime. 
The  air-dry  tea  yielded  ammonia  equivalent  to  5*38  per  cent,  nitrogen, 
and  besides  4*94  theina  a  small  quantity  of  a  crystalline  compound 
of  the  behavior  of  tlieohromina.  By  infusion  with  boiling  water, 
36*26  per  cent,  dry  extract  was  obtained,  containing  nearly  the  entire 
amount  of  potassa,  very  little  lime,  almost  two-thirds  of  the  nitrogen, 
nearly  one-half  of  the  phosphoric  acid,  and  one-third  of  the  iron  and 
manganese.  The  author  shows  that  exhausted  tea  leaves,  which  are 
often  used  for  adulterating  tea,  can  be  readily  recognized  from  the 
amount  and  the  composition  of  the  ashes,  and  argues  that  in  old  tea 
leaves  the  relative  proportion  of  the  inorganic  constituents  is  altered 
so  that  the  potassa  and  phosphoric  acid  decrease  while  lime  is  increased 
in  quantity. — Ann.  d.  Chem.  und  Pharm.  1871,  May^  180 — 193. 
Manufacture  of  Starch  Syrup  and  Starch  Sugar. — Carl  Krotke 
publishes  his  method  for  converting  starch  into  glucose,  whereby  the 
usual  time  is  shortened  to  one-half.  It  consists  in  adding  for  every 
pound  of  sulphuric  acid  employed  two  ounces  nitric  acid.  The  usual 
proportions  are  30  cwt.  fresh  moist  starch,  30  lbs.  sulphuric  and  nitric 
acids.  The  boiling  is  continued  until  tincture  of  iodine  ceases  to  pro- 
duce a  purple  or  red,  but  rather  a  rum  color.  If  the  boiling  is  dis- 
continued before,  the  syrup  will  ferment ;  if  continued  for  10  or  15 
minutes  longer,,  the  sugar  will  crystallize. 
The  bleaching  of  the  syrup  is  effected  by  bone  charcoal,  in  addition 
to  which  sulphurous  acid  is  now  also  employed.  The  acid  is  removed 
by  soda  and  chalk. 
To  obtain  block  sugar  (glucose  in  boxes),  50  per  cent,  more  of  the 
two  acids  is  employed ;  when  the  conversion  of  the  starch  into  sugar 
has  been  effected,  the  boiling  is  continued  for  the  same  length  of  time. 
For  the  quantities  given  above,  15  lbs.  of  bone  charcoal  are  added, 
and  the  boiling  continued  for  5  minutes.  The  mixture  is  drawn  into 
another  vat,  and  neutralized  with  chalk.    The  following  additions  are 
23 
