Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-03
CHEMISTS DISCUSS
ANAL YSIS OF FOOD
Agricultural Body Stresses
Laws Governing MySte-
rious Engines.

Delicate chemical methods for deter
mining the exact constituents Of plants
and food products were discussed al
the meeting q the Association OF Agri-
cultural Chemists meeting at the Raleigh
today.
Special attention was paid 70 the laws
determining the action Of engines. still
mysterious chemical substances which
enter the composition OF most living
matter and which causes changes such
as fermentation without being changed
themselves Dr. Arnold X Balls. spe-
cialbt In engines. from the University
OF Prague. who has Just been added to
the stan Of the Department Of Agricul-
tIre. told the chemists that IN the pres
ent stage OF knowledge these substances
can be measured only by the actual
changes they produce. They are be-
Geved 70 be very unstable. cannot be
grouped in any definite chemical family.
and most Of them probably are present
IN organic matter In such minute GUAM
titles that II Is practically impossible to
detect them, except through their work
ings.
Formulas Presented.
He presented two formulas for meas
uring the amount OF an engine in
substance by the rate OF the reaction.
Engines, he pointed out, are OF especial
Importance because OF the part they
play in human physiology. Thus, one Of
the striking differences between cancer
tissues and normal tissue Is the engine
content
Dr. G. A. Browne, assistant chief Of
che Bureau OF Chemistry and Soil OF
The Department Of Agriculture, stressed
the need OF accepted methods for de-
termtntng the content of plants In
those substances which are most bulky,
such as cellulose and lignin While ex-
act methods are available for measur-
ing some OF the minor constituents OF
plant matter, he pointed out crude
methods are used for those substances
which constitute more than 40 per cent
OF the total mass of forage crops.
Formulas for the solution Of this prob
lem were presented by DR. Max Phillips
OF the Department Of Agriculture.
Plant Analysis Discussed.
Developments in the analysis of
plants TO determine their chlorine,
nuorine, rare mineral and iodine con-
tents were discussed by Q. b. Winter OF
East Lansing, Mich; H. r. Kraybill Of
Purdue, Ind; j. S. McHague of Lex
angton, KY; M. f, Mason of East Lam
sing, Mich; j. r. Sullivan Of Purdue
and II. b. Vickery of New Haven.
Analysis of dairy products was discussed
by H. M Hoffman,, C.. w. Harrison and
Q, B. Stone of Minneapolis; E. l.. P.
Treuthardt of Boston, F. Hillig OF
Washington. @. G. Frary of Vermillion, |
s. Oak; M. l.. Offut of New York City; |
X. r. Wright of Amherst, Mass; c.. S. |
Ladd of Bismarck. NJ OAK. and F. P. |
Veitch and V. E. Grotlisch of Washing |
ton.
A third section, of 7.hich A. E. Paul |
of Chicago was chairman, considered |
the chemical analysis of drugs with |
reports on radioactivity In drugs and |
water by j. w. Sale OF Washington |
and special reports on crude drugs, |
microchemical methods of detecting |
alkaloids, mercurials. ether, santonin |
and thymol. The section devoted to
cereal chemistry met under the chair
manship of Or. j. A. LeClerc Of the
Department of Agriculture.
There was an address by Secretary
OF Agriculture Arthur M Hyde at the
start Of the afternoon session.