Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
February,  1919- 
} 
Cacao  Shell. 
109 
encountering  a  larger  and  larger  mesh  as  they  proceed  and  thus 
being  separated  into  various  sizes.  The  current  of  air  carries  about 
0.2  per  cent,  of  the  material  as  dust  into  a  settling  chamber.  The 
large  shell  contains  a  fair  amount  of  nib  and  is  graded  and  separated. 
Starting  with  100  parts  of  raw  cacao  beans  10^  per  cent,  of  shell  is 
produced.  The  total  "smalls  "  obtained  approach  4  per  cent.,  these 
"  smalls  "  containing  about  36  per  cent,  of  shell.  As  a  result  of  these 
separations  and  the  loss  which  occurs  on  roasting,  only  78.5  per 
cent,  of  usable  nib  is  obtained,  and  this  contains  about  2  per  cent,  of 
shell.  Continuous  vigilance  is  required  to  keep  the  product  up  to 
this  standard.  The  husking  machine  and  shell  purifiers  occupy  a 
considerable  space.  Crushing  and  separating  machines  to  deal  with 
1  ton  an  hour  occupy  2,200  cubic  feet,  or  roughly  to  handle  1  lb.  of 
roasted  beans  per  hour  requires  1  cubic  foot.  The  space  occupied 
by  the  "  smalls  "  machine,  shell  graders,  and  purifiers  would  add  50 
per  cent.  We  have  never  heard  of  any  other  method  of  separation 
of  the  shell  being  used. 
The  price  of  cacao  shell  has  undergone  an  extraordinary  increase 
in  the  last  two  years.  Thus  in  1912  the  average  price  was  65s.  per 
ton ;  in  1913,  1914,  and  1915,  70s. ;  in  1916  it  rose  to  90s. ;  in  1917  to 
128s. ;  whilst  in  may,  1918,  it  stood  at  310s.  per  ton.  The  variation 
in  price  is  even  greater  than  appears  from  these  figures.  To  appre- 
ciate fully  the  rise  we  have  to  deduct  the  bagging  expenses,  which 
are  high,  shell  being  a  bulky  material.  Thus  the  above  shell,  which 
is  practically  free  from  cocoa,  weighs  only  gj/2  lb.  per  cubic  foot  (or 
32  lb.  when  ground  to  powder). 
There  are  other  grades  of  cacao  shell  from  which  the  manufac- 
turer has  not  so  completely  separated  the  cocoa,  and  these  are  more 
highly  priced,  e.  g., 
Grade. 
Cacao  Nib  Present. 
Price  per  ton  (Sept..  1916) 
2. 
3- 
4- 
I. 
less  than  i% 
2.8% 
10.0% 
15-0% 
120.?. 
150S. 
200S. 
