Some Effects of Borax on the Polarisation of Sugar Solutions

During investigations of the specific rotation of gums, Jennings6 found that the addition of 20 ml. 5 per cent borax solution depressed the pol of pure sucrose by more than 2 per cent. Since other investigators had found similar discrepancies with the original experimental results of Hernandez it was decided that the whole question of using borax to obtain close approximations of sucrose content by direct polarisation should be re-examined.