E eDITORIA AL. 
EGG ALBUMEN. 
The importation of egg albumen, which is used mainly in the 
Sea of confectionery, having been prohibited, the Institute 
has been asked to supply information ‘regarding processes for its manu- 
facture. There are two main processes—one mechanical, the .other 
ehemical. 
In the former process the white of eggs is strained through silk 
gauze lining the lead-lined drums of centrifuge ul machines. It is allowed 
tu settle for,30 or 40 hours, when the albumen is generally found to be 
clear. In some cases it is necessary to clarify by a little. tannin or 
avetic acid and turpentine oil, and pressure through a filtering appara 
tus. The clear albumen is then treated as quickly as possible in a 
stream of dry air or in vacuo (as in the manufacture of condensed milk) 
under 50° C. (above this temperature the albumen becomes yellow) for 
about 4 to 6 hours, when it is obtained as thin, clear, elastic sheets, 
which dissolve with water to a clear odourless solution. 
In the chemical method, whites of eggs are beaten up thoroughly 
with water, when the albumen and salts” pass into solution, and the 
insoluble membr: anous matter is strained off. The albumen may be 
purtially separated from the soluble salts by dialysis or by precipitating 
the liquid with basic lead acetate, decomposing the ‘precipitate by 
sarbonie acid, and removing the last traces of lead by hydrogen sulphide. 
On cautiously warming the liquid to 60° incipient coagulation occurs, 
and the first flakes of albumen carry down with them every trace of lead 
sulphide, leaving the liquid perfectly colourless. On evaporating the 
solution at a temperature below 40° and completing the desiccation in 
shallow trays, the albumen is obtained in the form of transparent, pale 
yellow, horny seales, which may be reduced to a yellowish white powder. 
In the solid state it may be kept without change, but the solution readily 
putrefies. 
ALCOHOL FROM SUGAR CANE TOPS: 
Inquiries have been made as to the practicability of profitably 
manufacturing alcohol for power purposes from cane tops. 
As a matter of fact, the sugar content of cane varies very much, 
equally i in the stems as in the tops. The amount will also depend on 
where the tops are cut off, whether they are to be left on the field to be 
ploughed in, or taken to ‘feed stock. - If the thrashing has been done 
Some time before cutting, the green cane under the leaves ripens, and 
the cut is made just above the. base of the last leaf. The percentage 
of hydrolizable sugars might be taken as 2.6 per cent. If a little more 
of the stalk is taken when cutting off the top, i.e., below the last leaf, 
the percentage might rise to 4.6 per cent. or 5.9 per cent. as a maximum. 
The moisture would be about 70 per cent. ; 
One ton cane tops should produce from 3.63 to 8.24 gallons absolute. 
Thus from a ton of cane tops we might reckon on an average, say, 4 
gallons absolute alcohol, but varying up to, say, 7 gallons, depending 
on place of cutting off top, ripeness of top, and variety of cane, &e. It 
is not very safe to generalize too much for calculation, and it is better 
to be on the conservative side and caleulate on a rate of 4 to 5-gallons. 
C.12439.—3, 2yPR 
