CONTENTS. 



Part I. 



PAQE 



Chapter I. Introduction 1 



Objects of the Research 1 



The Starch-Grain 1 



Stereochemistry and some of its Applications 2 



Differentiation of Stereoisomers 12 



Conceptions, Methods, Plan, and Conduct of this Research 13 



Assistants and Sources of Supply of Material 14 



General Characters of the Investigation and Records 15 



Chapter II. The Starch-Substance and the Structure, Form, and Mechanism op Formation op 



THE Starch-Grain 17 



Various Views of the Nature of the Starch-substance, and of the Structure, Form, and Mechanism of 



Formation of the Starch-Grain 18 



Occurrence of the Starch-Grain in Plant-life 60 



Peculiar kinds of Starch, and Starch-hke Bodies 62 



The Chief Forms and Classifications of Starch-Grains 64 



Schleiden's Classification of Starch-Grains 64 



Nageli's Classification of Starches from Different Sources 66 



Meyer's Classification of Starch-Grains 67 



Muter's Classification of Starches 71 



Kraemer's Classification of Starch-Grains 71 



\\'inton's Classification of Starches 72 



Properties of the Starch-Grain in relation to Mendelism 72 



Starch-Grain as a Spherocrystal 75 



Conclusions relating to the Starch-Substance and the Structure and Mechanism of Formation of the 

 Starch-Grain, based chiefly upon the foregoing Literature and in part upon Observations 



recorded in Subsequent Chapters 79 



Chapter III. The Primary and the Reverted Decomposition Products of Starch 83 



Synopsis of the more Important Literature up to the Investigations of Griessmayer, Briicke, and O'Sul- 



livan in 1872 84 



The Basic Investigations of Griessmayer, Briicke, O'Sullivan, and Musculus and Gruber 93 



Nature of the Chemical Processes involved in the Dextrinization and Saccharification of the Starch- 

 Molecule 95 



The Processes in the Conversion of Raw Starch into Starch-Paste, Pseudo-Solution, and True Solution 95 



The Process in the Conversion of Starch into Dextrin 97 



The Process in the Conversion of one form of Dextrin into another and into Sugar 100 



Soluble Starch, Reverted Starch, Coagulated Starch, "Artificial Starch" and "Artificial Starch-Grains.". . . . 101 



Soluble Starch 101 



The Reversion of Starch-Paste, Soluble Starch, and Amylodextrin into Coagulated and Insol- 

 uble forms of Starch. "Artificial Starch" and "Artificial Starch-Grains" Ill 



Amylodextrin and Maltodextrin 113 



Erythrodextrin, Achroodextrin, Grenzdextrin, etc 120 



Isomaltose, Maltose, Glucose, Saccharose, etc 138 



Differences in the Products of Acid and Enzymic Action 149 



Unusual Products of the Decomposition of Starch 154 



Differences in the Decomposition Products of Different Starches 154 



The Synthesis of Starch 156 



Summary and Conclusions 160 



Chapter IV. The Differentiation op the Starches from Different Genera, Species, etc 165 



The Histological Method 166 



Proximate Constituents and other Features of General Chemical Composition 166 



The Proximate Principles 166 



The Starch-Substance 166 



The Water of Starch 167 



The Ash 168 



The Reaction of Starches 169 



Miscellaneous Chemical Differences 170 



Color Reactions 170 



Iodine 170 



vii 



