Industrial dehydration of alcohol : production of w ater-free alcohol for m otor fuels etc. H.
G u i n o t (Internat. Sugar J , 1930, 32 , 77—82).—
Modern methods (here outlined) for the production of absolute alcohol by taking advantage of the formation of an azeotropic mixture with benzene, will involve, starting from rectified alcohol a t 94% (by wt.), a maximum expenditure of 2000 lb. of dry steam to make 100 gals, of alcohol a t 100%. This steam consumption is reduced to 1350 lb. if one is content with alcohol at 99-7% , whilst, starting from alcohol a t 92%, the steam consumption is about 1600 lb. to obtain alcohol at 99 • 7%.
Hydrocarbon consumption is said always to remain less than 0-2% of the production of hydrated alcohol.
J. P. O g ilv i e . A lcoholom etric corrections for temperatures below 0°. F. B o r d a s and E. R o e l e n s (Compt. rend, 1930,190, 923).—I t is proposed to d e t e r m i n e .corrections of alcoholometric tables between 0° and —30° by measurements made with a cylindrical vessel containing 300 c.c. of alcoholic liquid, placed in a large vessel containing acetone cooled by solid carbon dioxide, the whole being placed in a heat-insulated vessel. No results are given. C. A. S i l b e r k a d .
R ecovery of o ils and fa ts. B e c k m a n .—See XII.
See also A , May, 640, A ction of a m y la se from S o r g h u m v u lg a r e on potato starch ( Pa t w a r d h a n).
A m y la se from E le u s in e C o ra ca n a ( Pa t w a r d h a n and
N a r a y a n a) . 642, Survival of dried y east ( Kr a s s i l-
n ik o v ) . N itrates as source of nitrogen for growth of y ea st ( P i r s c h l e ) .
Pa t e n t s.
M anufacture of yeast. “ S e l b i ” (Soc. d ' E x p l o i t .
d e L ic e n c e s d e B r e v . I n d .) (B .P . 304.314. 7.1.29.
F r , 19.1.28).—Vinasses from the distilleries of molasses, sugar factories, or yeast factories are used as the sole medium for the culture of alim entary or any other yeast.
The pitching yeast may be previously cultivated in sterilised vinasses with added ammonium sulphate and
B r itis h C h e m ic a l A b s tr a c ts —B .
Cl. X IX .—Fo o d s. 5S3
sodium phosphate, and th ereafter used to ferm ent the vinasses w ith added superphosphate. C. Ranken;
Filtration of beer w ort for further treatm ent, and of beer and other foam ing liquids. L . Na t h a n,
Assr. to Ha n s e n a A.-G. (U.S.P. 1,754,432, 15.4.30.
Appl, 6.9.27. G er, 7.9.26).—See B.P. 280,395: B , 1928, 104.
Im provem ent of brew ing w aters. E. Ja l o w e t z
(U.S.P. 1,755,544, 22.4.30. A ppl, 18.8.26. A ustr, 20.11.25).—See B.P. 261,708 ; B , 1927, 430.
Dry distillation of vin asses under reduced pressure. J. G u i l l i s s e n , Assr. to U n io n C him . B e l g e , Soc. Anon. (U.S.P. 1,756,191, 29.4.30. A p p l, 8.11.23.
B e lg , 15.12.22).—S ee B.P. 208,516 ; B , 1924, 802.
Feeding-stuffs etc. (Austr.P. 107,279—107,281).—
See X IX .
XIX.— FOODS.
Chemical and p hysico-chem ical changes in duced in w h eat and w heat products b y elevated tem peratures. II. W. F. G e d d e s (Canad. J. R es, 1930,2, 65—90 ; cf. B. 1930, 262).—A detailed examina
tion of the influence of tim e and tem perature of heating samples of unbleached flour, milled from Western Canadian, hard red, spring wheat, on biochemical pro
perties related to “ strength,” showed th a t for the most part the changes investigated were associated with decreasing baking quality. Gluten quality was im
paired in all heat-treated samples. High positive correlations were obtained between viscosity, gas reten
tion, and loaf volume ; decrease in viscosity was approxi
mately a linear function of the tem perature for constant time of heating. Ease of peptisation of flour proteins showed a progressive decrease with increased heating.
High positive correlations were obtained between loaf volume and percentage of protein peptised. Marked decrease in diastatic activity followed severe heat-treat
ment, bu t decrease in proteolytic activity was first evident. A full bibliography is appended.
E. H o lm e s . Chem ical and p h ysico-ch em ical changes induced in w heat and w h eat products b y elevated tem pera
tures. III. Influence of germ constituents on baking quality and their relation to im provem ent in flour induced b y heat and ch em ical im provers. W. F.
G e d d e s (Canad. J. R e s, 1930, 2 , 195— 213 ; cf. preced
ing abstract).—A detailed investigation to determine the cause of improved baking qualities observed after different heat-treatm ents of various grades of flour and on added germ is described. The main conclusions from the results (for details of which the original must be consulted) are as follows- H eat-treatm ent of straight- grade flour either m atured with nitrogen trichloride, or previously extracted with ether, or of unaged fifth- middlings flour results in very little improvement in baking quality and very little response to the bromate method (addition of 0-001% of potassium bromate to the baking formula). Addition of germ to fifth-middlings flour causes a marked reduction in baking quality (poorer handling qualities of the dough, underfermented charac
teristics, decrease in loaf volume, and coarse, open texture) by the basic procedure, but the deleterious effects of germ are reduced by increase in the fermenta
tion time, addition of bromate, or previous heat-treat
ment of the germ. The response to bromate decreases with increasing preheating treatm ent, and it is postulated th a t the improvement of natural flour induced by proper heat-treatm ent and the response to bromate are both associated with the presence of germ in the flour, and depend on the oxidation of certain germ constituents, probably the phospliatides. In agreement with this view addition of lecithin to middlings flour causes a marked response to bromate treatm ent, arid heat-treatm ent of the germ induces a marked increase in hydrogen-ion concentration of the aqueous extract (p ^ 6-51 for raw germ changing to p s 5-93 after heating a t 121° for 3 hrs.), and a decrease in the iodine value ([Wijs] 125-6 and 111-5°, respectively) of the residue from the ether extract. H eat-treatm ent is therefore detrimental to the gluten, but markedly decreases the deleterious effects of germ constituents; hence unaged flours containing low-grade mill-streams may show considerable improve
ment in baking quality after heat-treatm ent despite the injury to gluten quality, but the improvement will not equal th a t induced by chemical improvers which act primarily on the germ constituents. The suggestions of Kent-Jones (B , 1929, 463) are shown to be untenable both from theoretical and experimental considerations.
J. W. B a k e k . Relation between protein content and quality of w heat, as show n b y different baking m eth ods. R. K.
L a r m o u r (Cereal Chem, 1930.7,35—48).—Experimental
milling and baking tests were carried out on 286 samples of pure varieties of wheat grown in Saskatchewan during 1926—8. Results showed th a t when the flour was baked by a simple formula of flour, water, salt, yeast, and sugar, the correlation factor between the protein content and the quality, as measured by baking tests, was too low to justify the practical value of the crude protein test in predicting quality. When, however, 0-001% of potassium bromate was added to the basic baking for
mula the correlation with protein content was high enough to warrant the commercial use of the protein test as a factor in the classification of hard spring wheat.
E. B. H u g h e s . E valuating the quality of w heat varieties b y co
operative te sts. C. 0. Sw a n s o n (Cereal Chem, 1930,7, 66—78).—Co-operative work was carried out by seven
teen cereal chemists on Tenmarq, Kanred, Turkey, Black- hull, and Superhard wheats to determine the milling and baking qualities of Tenmarq, a new hybrid wheat developed by the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Details of the methods used and the results of the tests are given. “ Tenmarq ” is shown to be superior to the other varieties tested. E. B. Hu g h e s.
B acteriology of wheat and flour. D. W. K e n t - J o n e s and A. J. A m os (Analyst, 1930, 55, 248—268).—
The enumeration of blood-heat organisms in flour is made by transferring 10 g. of flour to a sterilised, wide
mouthed glass bottle containing 100 c.c. of a sterile 0-5% solution of sodium chloride and 10 g. of purified, ignited sand. The mixture is shaken for 2 mill, and, as soon as the bulk of sand has settled, 5 c.c. of the suspen
sion are transferred to a narrow-necked bottle contain
ing 45 c.c. of sterile 0-5% sodium chloride solution.
After shaking, 5 c.c. of the liquid are transferred to
B r itis h C h em ica l A b s tr a c ts— B .
584 Cl. X IX .—Foods.
another similar bottle containing 45 c.c. of sodium chloride solution. Finally 1 c.c. is transferred to a Petri dish to which are added the content's of a 10-c.c.
tube of sterile, neutral agar melted in boiling water and cooled to 45°. The agar and extract are mixed and, when the agar has solidified, the inverted dish is incu
bated a t 37° and a count taken in 48 hrs. Cool organisms are enumerated in the same way except th a t a nutrient gelatin plate is prepared from the final dilution and counts are made in 48—72 hrs. In each case the count multiplied by 1000 is regarded as giving the number of organisms per g. of flour. Counts made on samples of flours taken over a period of several weeks showed th a t contamination of flour with both blood-heat and cool organisms increases greatly as the grade of flour becomes lower. Lengthening of conditioning time, omission of washing, etc. also increase the number, and always cool organisms were more numerous than blood-heat ones.
I t is considered th a t patent flour at the time of milling should contain not more th an 20,000 blood-heat organ
isms per g. and the straight-run flour not more than 50,000. Under normal conditions of storage both types of organism decrease considerably, and moisture con
te n t is a more im portant influencing factor than air temperature. In all cases blood-heat organisms die off more quickly than the cool ones. Most normal patent flours gave a negative result for the B. coli test with 0-025 g. and a positive one with 0-05 g , but results did not follow the bacterial content. Practically all bread made in this country contains “ rope ” organisms, but is rarely stored under conditions sufficiently favour
able for its rapid growth. Bacterial counts were also made on wheats, and washing and brushing processes were found to reduce the bacterial content about 60%.
D. G. H e w e r . Buffer in ten sities of w ater extracts and suspen
sion s of various flou rs at different H -ion concentra
tions. G. E . H o lm and E. G r e w e (Cereal Chem, 1930, 7, 49—58).—The liydrogeu-ion titration curves of water extracts and suspensions of various grades of flour from hard and soft wheats are compared. By plotting against pH the equivalent of acid or base required to change the p n value by one unit, curves are obtained which show the variation of buffer intensity with The relation of buffer intensity to grade, ash content, and phosphorus content is discussed. E. B. H u g h e s .
Staling of bread. W. P l a t t (Cereal Chem, 1930, 7, 1—34).— The changes tak in g place during th e staling of bread are divided into th ree sectio n s: (a) loss of volatile constituents, including w ater, alcohol, aldehydes, carbon dioxide, and traces of organic com pounds ; (b) the changes due to oxidation, considered to be of m inor im portance, and (c) th e “ in h e r e n t” staling, a term covering th e complex physical an d chemical changes occurring w ithin th e loaf. An historical survey w ith full references is given and a m ethod of ascertaining th e degree of staling by m easurem ent of th e compressibility of th e crum b is described. E . B. H ughes.
Value of the v iscosim eter in a com m ercial flou r
m ill laboratory. A. R. S a s s e and J. T. P e a r s o n (Cereal Cliem, 1930, 7, 79—82).—An account of the applica
tion of the MacMichael viscosimeter to measurement of
the viscosit}- of acidified (lactic acid) flour-water sus
pensions. The viscosity due to the starch was found to be negligible, the im portant factors being the amount and quality of the protein and amount of ash. The effect of variation in protein content was eliminated by adjusting the concentration of the suspension so as to keep the protein content constant. The authors con
clude th a t the use of the viscosimeter is not sufficiently standardised to give results of use other than in the particular laboratory where obtained, and th a t viscosity tests add nothing to the information obtainable from the usual protein and ash tests. E. B. H ugi-ies.
N ew aids in the ash in g of flour. F . M. W a l t e r s (Cereal Chem , 1930, 7, 83—87).—Addition of oxides of lanthanum, yttrium , cerium, and thorium accelerates th e combustion of flours, and the tim e m ay be reduced from 5 hrs. to 25—30 min. The flour is made into a paste with a solution of lanthanum nitrate giving a known weight of the oxide on incineration, and this is subtracted from the final ash. Duplicate results are obtained, but they do not agree with those obtained using the official A.O.A.C. method. The hygroscopicity of th e ash is not altered by the addition of the oxides. E. B. H u g h e s .
D eterm ination of ash [of flour] b y d i r e c t weighing.
J. L. S p a l d i n g (Cereal Chem, 1930, 7, 8S—91).—This method, in which the flour is incinerated in an unweighed crucible and the ash knocked out on to the balance pan and weighed, is compared with the official A.O.A.C. method, and the accuracy of the former is found to be the greater. The maximum variation in duplicates by direct weighing is 0-003% , and by the A.O.A.C. method O '010%. The greater variation in the A.O.A.C. method is due to moisture absorbed by the
crucible. E. B . H u g h e s .
Quick ash determ ination [in flour] b y m agnesium acetate-alcoh ol m e th o d . J. L. S p a l d i n g (Cereal Chem..
1930, 7, 93—97).—The sample of flour is moistened with an alcoholic solution of magnesium acetate and incinerated at a dull red heat in the presence of oxygen, ashing being complete in 15—20 min. An empty crucible and a crucible containing flour of known ash are incinerated a t the same time for control purposes.
Results agree well with those obtained by using the standard A.O.A.C. method. E. B . H u g h e s .
M etallic discoloration of Cheddar ch eese. E. G.
H o o d and A. H . W h i t e (Sci. A gric, 1930,1 0 , 520—522).
—Brownish discolorations in a cheese consignment were found to contain ferrous iron, and were traced to the presence of small particles of “ steel wool ” used in scouring the vats. A. G. P o l l a r d .
Sam p le d ryer. H o p p e r .—S eel. R e c o v e r y of oils and fa ts. B e c k m a n .—See X II. Caffeine in tea.
v o n M ik o .—See XX.
Pa t e n t s.
Im proving th e usefu lness of feeding-stuffs.
E. M i s l i n (Austr.P. 107,279, 2.4.17. Addn. to Austr.P.
103,891; cf. U.S.P. 1,685,004: B , 1928, 912).—
In the process described in the prior patent, the pre
viously prepared material is heated with alkalis or acids at about 100° before sterilisation, then neutralised and treated with bacteria or yeasts. Only a portion
B r itis h C h e m ic a l A b s tr a c ts — B .
C l. X X .— Me d i c i n a l Su b s t a n c e s ; Es s e n t i a l O ils. .5S5
of th e m a te r ia l m a y b e t r e a t e d w ith t h e o rg a n ism , th e r e m a in d e r b e in g l a t e r m ix e d in t im a te l y w ith t h e f e r
m e n te d p r o d u c t a n d t h e m i x tu r e a llo w e d to u n d e rg o
a f te r - f e r m e n ta tio n . W . -T. Bo y d.
D ecom position and im provem ent of feeding- stuffs and food s. E. M i s l i n (Austr.P. 107,280—1, 2.5.19).—(a ) Material of animal or vegetable origin is treated with micro-organisms from pentosan culture (Austr.P., 103,891 ; cf. preceding abstract) and then gradually warmed to 40—50°. (b) Feeding-stuffs obtained as described in the prior patent are soaked with vinasse, gradually mixed with bran, straw, e tc , and kept at above 38° for some time. W. J . Boyd.
Souring of sap-containing vegetable m atter in silos in preparation of a preserved feeding-stuff.
G a r t n e r & A u r i c h (G.P. 447,063, 28.10.20).—Urea or an equivalent amount of a nitrogenous salt is added to the material as it is deposited, in such proportion th a t it serves as food for the lactic acid bacteria with economy of the plant proteins, until sufficient lactic acid has been produced to arrest further bacterial action. In this process an electric current may be passed through the mass and pressure may be applied. W. J. B o y d .
Production of soluble album in. E. M. Meyer
(U.S.P. 1,754,521, 15.4.30. A ppl, 20.10.25).—See B.P.
260,224 ; B , 1927, 922.
E xtraction of albu m in o-caseins of vegetable origin, and separation of such album ino-caseins from am ylaceous m atter. H. B e a u f o u r (U.S.P.
1,755,531, 22.4.30. A ppl, 11.10.26. F r , 23.10.25).—
See B.P. 260,242 ; B , 1927, 539.
Manufacture of a vegetable alim entary extract.
J. Perino (U.S.P. 1,754,434, 15.4.30. A ppl, 18.10.27.
Ger, 22.10.26).—See B.P. 279,487 ; B , 1929, 263.
Freezing of fish [by m eans of cooled brine spray]. S t e r i l e x , L t d , a n d A. E. S h e r m a n (B.P.
328,396, 19.3.29).
Concentration of liquids (Austr.P. 107,317).—
See I.
XX.— MEDICINAL SUBSTANCES; ESSENTIAL OILS.
A cid-base equilibrium of tincture of digitalis.
J. 0. Kr a n t z, j u n. (J. Arncr. Pharm . Assoc, 1930, 19, 366—370).—Experiments on buffering the menstruum and on the buffer capacity of tincture of digitalis, and the effect of ageing on the p n of the tincture indicate th at the extractive m aterial of the digitalis leaves possess sufficient buffer capacity to bring the p n of each of the finished tinctures close to the pn of the unbuffered tincture ; the buffer influence of the tincture is apparently dependent on the organic extractive material from the drug. A very slow decrease in pn occurs on keeping ; one sample decreased from 5-88 to 5-38 after being kept for 2 years, bu t the change was more rapid in certain samples stored in direct light.
The Van Slyke “ (3 ” for the tincture has been deter
mined for strong acids and bases. E. H. Sh a r p l e s.
Stability of infusion of d igitalis, B .P . F. W o k e s a n d G. K . E l p h i c k (Quart. J. P h a rm , 1930, 3 , 73— 75).
Infusion of digitalis, B .P , preserved by the addition
°f chloroform (0-3%) or thymol (0-064%), does not
decrease appreciably in physiological activity for a t least 3 weeks (cf. Haag and Hatcher, B , 1929, 835).
H . E . F. N o t t o n . S tab ility of salts of ergotoxine and ergotam ine.
F. W o k e s and G. K. E l p h i c k (Quart. J. P h a rm , 1930, 3 , 59—72).—In continuation of previous work (B , 1929, 1031), the stability of solid and liquid preparations of ergot alkaloids has been examined. Ergotoxine phosphate in a vacuum over phosphoric oxide loses its specific physiological activity a t the rate of about 10%
yearly. In presence of air decomposition is more rapid.
The deterioration, if any, of ergotoxine ethanesulphonate in air-filled closed tubes is less than 5% yearly. The phosphate in 0-01% solution a t 0° loses half its activity in 6 months, and in 0-1% solution loses one third of its activity in 2—4 months. A t 37° decomposition is several times more rapid. Commercial solutions of the phosphate and of ergotamine tartra te deteriorate a t similar rates. H . E . F. N o t t o n .
M anufacture of guaiacol and phenacetin. J . S c h w y z e r (Pharm. Z tg , 1930, 7 5 , 495—'198, 509—510, 518—521).—Methods and apparatus are described for the manufacture of phosgene and m ethyl and ethyl chlorides; for the conversion of phenol into o- and p-nitrophenols, p-phenetidine, phenacetin, o-anisidine, guaiacol, guaiacol carbonate, benzoate, and ortho
phosphate, and potassium guaiacolsulphonate, and for the conversion of chlorobenzene into o- and p-chloro- nitrobenzenes, o-nitroanisole, and ^-nitrophenetole.
H. E . F. N o t t o n . Evaluation of drugs containing caffeine. I.
T ea. G. v o n Mdc6 (Magyar Gyog. Tarsas. E r t , 1929, 5 , 384—399 ; Chem. Z en tr, 1929, ii, 3045—3046).—A rapid macro-method, and micro-methods (refracto- metric and micro-Kjeldahl) for the determination of caffeine in tea are described. A. A. E l d r i d g e .
Technical preparation of tartar em etic. F.
C h e m n i ti u s (Chem.-Ztg, 1930, 5 4 , 214).—The manufac
ture by the interaction of a boiling solution of commer
cial ta rta r and excess of freshly melted and ground antimony oxide is described. After 2 hrs.’ boiling the solution is filtered and crystallised on threads in leaden tanks. Vessels of wood or lead are used through
out the process. E . L e w k o w it s c h . S tab ility of solution s of arsenious and m ercuric iodide, U .S .P . X . W. J. H u s a and W. W. F. E n z (J. Amer. Pharm. Assoc, 1930, 19, 328—341).—Dono
v a n ’s solution is essentially a solution of aT senious acid, mercuric hydrogen iodide, and hydriodic acid, and deterioration results in oxidation to arsenic acid both by the air present in the bottle and by the oxidising action of iodine and water. The stability is increased (a) by storage in amber bottles, well-filled bottles, and in a refrigerator ; (6) by replacement of the air in the bottle by an inert g a s ; and (c) by replacement of 25% of the water by honey or syrup. Changes in the proportions of the ingredients, the use of porcelain or Wedgwood mortars, or variations in the method of preparation have no influence on the sta b ility ; the presence of metallic mercury is also ineffective, and free arsenic dissolves and increases the arsenic c o n te n t . The rate of deterioration increases with increasing
B r itis h C h e m ic a l A b s t r a c t s—B .
5S6 C l. X X I.—Ph o t o g r a p h i c Ma t e r ia l s a n d Pr o c e s s e s.
acidity or basicity, b u t tlie addition of calcium carbonate in sufficient am ount to neutralise the acid present (pH, when freshly prepared, is about 1-2) has a marked preservative influence; a neutral solution, having the same chemical composition as the official U.S.P.
preparation, b u t varying in the method of preparation, was found to be much more stable. The addition of 0-4% of oxalic acid, “ methenamine,” terpin hydrate, or hypophosphorous acid retards the deterioration, but of these it is only practicable to use terpin hydrate.
Apparently light of wave-length 3200—4600 A. is responsible for most of the deterioration.
E. H. S h a r p l e s . See also A , May, 599, D erivatives of 6-am ino-3- hydroxybenzoic acid ( P u x e d d u and Sanna). 609, Con
stituents of A r c tiu m L a p p a (S h in o d a ) . Rotenone from D e rr is root ( T a k e i and others). 617, Reactions of antipyrine ( E k k e r t ) . 623, M icrochem ical reac
tions of pilocarpine and cocaine ( W a g e n a a r ) . Reactions of atropine and related com pounds ( E k k e r t ) . H arm ine ( I v r e i t m a i r ; W o l f e s and I v e r s ) . 624, S try c h n o s alkaloids ( L e u c h s a n d H o f f m a n n ) . 625, Strychnine and brucine ( A s h l e y and others).
M icrochem ical reactions of apom orphine (W a g e - n a a r ) . 629, M icrochem istry of cystin e ( W a g e n a a r ) . M icrochem ical contributions ( v a n Z ijp ). 639, D etoxication of chloroform ( F u h n e r ) .
Pa t e n t s.
Manufacture of ureides of dialkylacetic acids.
F. H o f f m a n n - L a R o c h e & Co. A.-G. (G.P. 459.903.
23.4.26. Sw itz, 20.1.2C. Cf. B.P. 264,804; B... 1927 ^ 573).—F urther to the B .P , diethylbarbituric acid is
23.4.26. Sw itz, 20.1.2C. Cf. B.P. 264,804; B... 1927 ^ 573).—F urther to the B .P , diethylbarbituric acid is