_________________________________________________________________________ | | | | | | | F. Schulze | Lange | Cross and | | Method | Dil. HNO_{3} | Fusion KOH | Bevan | | | KClO_{3} | | Chlorine, &c. | |_____________________________|______________|____________|_______________| | | | | | | Cellulose p.ct. obtained | 66.0 | 39.3-43.1 | 66.5 | | Furfural p.ct. of cellulose | 7.0 | 3.96 | 5.62 | | Residual nitrogen | 0.22 | 0.03 | 0.00 | | Ferricyanide reaction, | | | | | Prussian blue fixed | 6.04 | 0.89 | 0.92 | |_____________________________|______________|____________|_______________| The author remarks: 'It is evident no one feature can be urged as a criterion in judging between the methods, but all must be taken into consideration. Such a comparison shows the superiority of the chlorination method.' The cellulose is not of the normal (cotton) type, since on treatment with sulphuric acid it dissolves with considerable discolouration, but only to the extent of about 80 per cent. The dissolved monoses converted into osazones were found to consist of hexoses only. The cellulose treated with caustic soda solution (5 p.ct. NaOH) in the cold yielded 20 p.ct. of its weight of soluble constituents, but as the residue yielded 3.34 p.ct. furfural the attack of the alkali is by no means confined to the furfuroids. ~Animal Digestion of the Constituents of Bran.~--Observations on a steer fed upon wheat bran only established the following percentage digestion of the several constituents: Soluble carbohydrates 96.9 Starch 100.0 Free pentosanes 60.2 Cellulose 24.8 Lignin complex 36.7 Proteid 82.96 Ether extract 42.73 _____________________ ______ Nitrogen-free extract 76.08 Crude fibre 32.21 JOURNAL OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE (Research Department, Vols. 1-2, 1895-6). (p. 109) In this journal appear a series of notices of the results of analyses of vegetable fibres by the method described in 'Report on Miscellaneous Fibres' (Col. Ind. Exhibition Reports, p. 368) [C. F. Cross]. These investigations deal with the following subjects: