Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1895. 
Some  Commercial  Cocoas. 
319 
Chocolate  is  made  by  grinding  the  roasted  beans  deprived  of  the 
husks,  in  heated  rollers,  which  soften  the  fat,  and  while  in  this  pasty 
condition  the  mass  is  mixed  with  sugar  and  afterward  pressed  in 
moulds.  In  the  preparation  of  cocoa,  the  roasted  beans,  also 
deprived  of  the  husks,  are  reduced  by  grinding  to  a  fine,  smooth 
paste  and  placed  in  bags  and  subjected  to  powerful  pressure  in 
heated  presses.  The  fat  exudes  slowly  and  the  residue,  which  is  a 
solid,  compact  cake,  is  broken  in  pieces  and  finely  powdered  for 
use. 
In  practice,  there  are  many  modifications  of  these  processes,  such 
as  the  addition  of  flavoring  and  coloring  substances  and  materials 
to  give  consistency,  and  sometimes  even  to  give  weight  to  the 
finished  preparations. 
The  cocoas  prepared  as  outlined  above  are  considered  more 
palatable  and  digestible  than  the  chocolates,  and  hence  are  deemed 
worthy  of  a  distinct  classification. 
It  was  with  the  view  of  making  a  comparative  chemical  examina- 
tion of  a  few  of  the  more  popular  brands  of  this  class  that  the  pres- 
ent work  was  undertaken. 
The  following  is  a  list  of  the  names  of  the  preparations  exam- 
ined : 
(1)  Rowntree's  Elect  Extract  of  Cocoa;  (2)  Huyler's  Caracas 
Cocoa;  (3)  Breakfast  Cocoa  (Croft  &  Allen) ;  (4)  Miller's  Breakfast 
Cocoa;  (5)  Fry's  Cocoa  Extract ;  (6)  Walter  Baker  &  Co.'s  Break- 
fast Cocoa ;  (7)  Van  Houten's  Pure  Soluble  Cocoa;  (8)  Bensdorp's 
Pure  Royal  Dutch  Soluble  Cocoa;  (9)  J.  &  C.  Blocker's  Dutch 
Cocoa;  (10)  Wilbur's  Breakfast  Cocoa •  (11)  Cadbury's  Cocoa  Es- 
sence ,  and  (12)  Whitman's  Pure  Cocoa. 
A  moisture  determination  was  first  made  by  subjecting  two 
grammes  of  the  powder  contained  in  a  crucible  to  a  temperature  of 
ioo°  C.  until  a  constant  weight  was  obtained. 
The  dry  residue  from  the  preceding  operation  was  then  ignited  at 
a  low,  red  heat  until  the  weight  remained  constant.  The  ashes 
were  all  light  gray  in  color,  some  of  them  being  nearly  white  or 
having  a  pinkish  tinge.  These  were  examined  qualitatively,  and 
were  found  to  be  composed  almost  entirely  of  the  phosphates  and 
carbonates  of  potassium,  magnesium  and  calcium,  with  a  small  per 
cent,  of  iron  in  No.  1,  and  a  trace  of  sodium  in  No.  7.  The  high 
percentages  of  ash  in  Nos.  8  and  9,  and  the  still  higher  per  cent,  in 
