While the time at our disposal has not permitted as thorough an investigation in some details of the work as seemed desirable, sufficient data have been obtained to show the general character and extent of the adulteration of the cocoa preparations sold on our markets.

The determination of the ash serves as a means of determining the extent of dilution with foreign materials (the nature of these materials being known) of organic or inorganic origin. The per cent of ash decreases with the addition of substances low in ash, as starch, flour, etc.; increases with the removal of fat, the addition of mineral matter for weight or color, or the addition of alkaline carbonates in the process of manufacture. The percentages of ash, fat, sugar, and starch must be considered with reference to each other in order to determine whether any one is abnormal. Any addition of mineral matter that could possibly be of value for increasing the weight or color of the preparation would certainly render the ash conspicuously abnormal in amount or color.

For the detection of the use of fixed alkalis in the process of manufacture, the number of cubic centimeters of decinormal acid necessary to neutralize the ash from 2 grams of material was determined. The number thus obtained is put down in the table of results as acid equivalent. By use of this number and the number expressing the per cent of ash in the sample, the following additional numbers were calculated:

A = acid equivalent - per cent ash.

B = acid equivalent - per cent ash - the per cent of alkali in the ash (calculated as Na2C03) = acid equivalent - per cent ash - (acid equivalent X .0053 X 100. / 2)

In the samples yielding a normal ash, A varies from 1.20 to 1.72 and exceeds 1.50 in eleven cases; B varies from 1.07 to 3.15 and exceeds 2.80 in three cases.

The determinations proposed by Stutzer were made in only six samples. It is greatly regretted that time did permit more of these determinations, since the method seems to be of considerable value, although the differences in the results are not as marked as are those obtained by Stutzer (see pp. 943 and 985).

The only decidedly abnormal ashes were those from samples Nos. 40, 42, and 64 which were unquestionably prepared by use of alkalis (see table of results). The ash figures obtained for samples 51 and 53, while not so pronounced, are sufficiently high to cause suspicion of the use of alkalis.

1 Rep. f. anal, chem., 1884, 4, 345.

A determination of the fat shows the amount of this important food material in the preparation, and is of value in determining the extent of adulteration with other substances. The amount of fat was not sufficiently inconsistent with the amount of the other ingredients to attract suspicion to any one of the samples. Time did not permit a qualitative examination of the fat from each sample.

Sugar and starch are used to a most deplorable extent, as the results in the table show. The quality of the sugar used is generally good, however, as is shown by the somewhat rare occurrence of reducing sugars.

A determination of theobromine is of very little value, since it has no commercial importance to tempt its removal, as is the case with cocoa butter. Its determination can, therefore, only be of value for judging the extent of adulteration with other substances, for which purpose a nitrogen determination would serve just as well (in the absence of nitrog-genous adulterants), and is much more easily made.

A fiber determination is of value for the detection of the presence of husks and other substances rich in cellulose, and for judging the extent to which these substances have been added. The value of the determination is greatly reduced, however, by the variation in the result that follows the degree of fineness of the powder. It is very difficult indeed to produce a sample by laboratory means that will give results that are comparable with those obtained with samples ground in chocolate works. Our comparisons must be, therefore, between commercial samples of known purity and those of questionable purity.

In adding "phosphatesas found in wheat," the manufacturers of sample No. 50 seem to have overlooked the fact that the husked cocoa bean is fully as rich in phosphoric acid as is wheat.

Beef tea was once considered to be a very concentrated and easily digestible food, and was given to invalids in small quantities with full confidence in its great, almost miraculous, nourishing power. It has long since been degraded very nearly to the rank of a mere stimulant and is never intelligently administered except when accompanied by an ample amount of nourishing food. As a concentrated and easily digestible food for invalids cocoa preparations arc already beginning to share the same fate; as material for the preparation of pleasant, ex-hilerating, and slightly nutritive beverages for both weak and strong, the career of cocoa preparations is only just begun. Moreover, their progress in popular favor will keep pace with the manufacturers' appreciation of this fact.

For a study of the nutritive value of cocoa, the following data can be taken as fairly representative of cocoas from which a part of the fat has been removed, and to which no foreign substances have been added:

Approximate average composition of pure cocoas, partially deprived of fat.

It must be remembered, however, that only about one-half of these nitrogenous substances are digestible protein, and the carbohydrate figure given includes several substances of doubtful nutritive value.

Amount of nutritive materials required per day by a man doing moderate manual labor.1

1 W,0. Atwater and Charles 1). Woods, Fourth Annual Report of the Storrs School Agricultural Experiment Station, Storrs, Conn., 1891.

The amount of cocoa used for the preparation of a cup of the beverage is generally less than 2.5 grams. From these data, the weights of the principal nutrients in a cup of cocoa and the equivalent parts of an average daily ration, given in the following table, were calculated:

Nutrients in a cup of cocoa, made from 2.5 grams of material.

In these calculations the variable additions of milk and sugar are disregarded.

The results of these investigations emphasize in many ways the many pleas that have been made for the establishment of standards of purity, strength, and quality for foods - for some certain means of enabling the public to know the strength, quality, and degree of purity of the food materials on the markets. The question of economy alone is sufficiently important to justify serious consideration of this need, for no question can be of more importance to a great part of our nation than questions of economy in food, drink, and clothing.