Cmpsnent Parts of Saccharine and Mucilagitioui Subflancef. 409 



An ounce of honey yielded, by a fimilar procefs, 4 dr. 4 gr. of pure Oxalic acid, but 

 exhibited no figns of faccholadlic acid. 



The following Table will flievv, at one view, the different produ£ls refulting from de- 

 ftruflive diftillation, with their relative proportions, and likewife thofe obtained by the 

 nitrous acid. 



From thefe experiments it would appear, that fugar confifts merely of carbon, hydro- 

 gen, and oxygen ; and that gum differs from fugar, not only in containing a lefs propor- 

 tion of oxygen, but alfo by its combination with lime and azote ; and that the fugar of 

 milk differs from both, as it contains the radical of the facchola£tic acid : in other refpetls, 

 however, it approaches very nearly to the nature of vegetable fugar. Does the milk of car- 

 nivorous and graminivorous animals yield the fame proportion of this acid ? and is this fu- 

 gar itfelf always of the fame nature I 



From the well known fafts refpe6iing vinous fermentation, there is now leafon to fup- 

 pofe, that no fubftances, but thofe which confift fimply of carbon, hydrogen, and oxy- 

 gen, are fufceptible of it, and that an union virith a fourth changes the nature of the com- 

 pound fo much as to render this procefs imprafticable. 



With a view to throw fome light on this obfcure fubjeft, the following experiments 

 were made : 



Attgufi 4, 1798. — An ounce of fugar difiblvedin 5 ounces of water was digefled with a» 

 little frefli flaked quicklime, in a m.oderate heat, for about 15 minutes; the folution was then, 

 filtered, and about 2 drachms, by meafure, of good yeafl; added ; the veflel and mixturCy 

 weighing 17 oz. 2 dr. were introduced below a large glafs bell. 



There was placed clofe to it, as a flandard, another veffel, containing an ounce of fugar 

 dllTolvedin 5 ounces of warm water, and to which an equal quantity of yeaft was added. This- 

 Ycflel and mixture, which weighed together 17 oz. i drachm, 20 grains, were likewife 



placed 



