14 On a peculiar Metamorphosis of Cane-sugar. 



as to be pulverizable. After being powdered, it%as again 

 digested and washed with alcohol until nothing more was dis- 

 solved. When dried at 100° C. it had the appearance of a 

 semi-transparent horny substance, and was sufficiently elastic 

 to render pulverization difficult. The alcohol contained in 

 solution a quantity of sugar of a brownish colour, quite un- 

 crystallizable, and rendered sour by the presence of the acid 

 used in the manufacture. 



The gummy substance treated with cold water slowly reas- 

 sumes its original appearance. When treated with a large 

 quantity of boiling water it forms a mucilage, which filters 

 with difficulty. Iodine produces no effect on the solution. 

 Subjected to Trommer's test for dextrine, sugar and gum, this 

 did not indicate the presence of any of these substances. 

 With nitric acid it produces oxalic acid. It gives a precipi- 

 tate with diacetate of lead. It contains, after having been 

 washed with alcohol, a small quantity of ashes, amounting to 

 1*37 per cent. It was analysed in the usual manner. 



I. 0*746 of substance gave, with oxide of copper and chlo- 

 rate of potash, 4-070 HO and 1-1735 C0 2 = 0*04727 H and 

 0-32448 C. 



II. 0-1525 of substance gave 0*092 HO and 0-232 C0 2 = 

 0-010222 H and 0-06474 C. 



These numbers, allowance being made of the ashes, give 

 the following proportions : — 



From this it would appear that this gummy substance is 

 isomeric with cellulose and inuline*. 



This substance, which has a composition similar to cellu- 

 lose and inuline, is evidently formed from the cane-sugar in 

 the lemonade, as all" its other constituents exist in too small 

 quantity to admit the idea of their having been its origin. 



* Cellulose, Payen. Endine. From turnip. Fromberg. 

 Carbon . 43-40 Carbon . 43-95 



Hydrogen 6-12 Hydrogen 6-13 



Oxygen . 50-38 a Oxygen . 49-66 b 



Inuline. Parnell. From Dahlia root. Payen. 

 Carbon . 43-95 Carbon . 44-19 



Hydrogen 6-30 Hydrogen 6-17 



Oxygen . 49*75 c Oxygen . 49*64 d 



" Ann. des Sc. Nat., 1840, p. 73. Bot. b Mulder, Op. cit., p. 203. 

 c Phil. Mag., vol. xvii. p. 126. d Op. cit., p. 91. 



