126 MR. E. SCHUNCK ON THE ACTION OF 



succinic acid ; and it is doubtful whether all the carbonic acid 

 evolved is due to the one process alone or not, and also 

 whether all the acetic acid formed arises from the oxidation of 

 the alcoliol, or whether a part of it does not proceed directly 

 from the decomposition of sugar. 



That the disengagement of hydrogen in this process stands 

 in some relation to the formation of succinic acid, will admit, 

 I think, of no doubt ; but I would not venture to assert that 

 the whole quantity of that gas evolved is due to the process 

 of decomposition by which this acid is formed. Of the pos- 

 sible modes of decomposition by which succinic acid may be 

 formed from sugar, I will indicate a few. One equiv. of sugar 

 may split up into 3 eqs. of succinic acid and 3 eqs. of hydro- 

 gen ; or with the elements of 8 eqs. of water into 1 eq. of 

 succinic acid, 8 eqs. of carbonic acid, and 17 eqs. of hydrogen; 

 or into 1 eq. of succinic acid, 2 eqs. of acetic acid, and I eq. 

 of hydrogen; or into 2 eqs. of succinic acid, 1 eq. of acetic 

 acid, and 2 eqs. of hydrogen ; or together with the elements 

 of 2 eqs. of water into 2 eqs. of succinic acid, ^ eq. of acetic 

 acid, 2 eqs. of carbonic acid, and 8 eqs. of hydrogen, as the 

 following equations will show : — 



Succinic Acid. 

 C.^H.^O.a =3C^H3 0^ + 3H 



Cx2 H,2 0,2 + 8 H O = C^ H3 O^ + 8 C 0^ + 17 H 



Acetic Acid. 

 C,2 H,, O,, = C^ H3 O, -i- 2 C, H, O, + H 



C,,H,,0,, =2C,H30,+ C,H,0, +2H 



C.2 H,2 0,2 + 2 H O = 2 C^ H3 O^ + i C^ H^ O^ -h 2 C O2 + 6 H 



Of these different modes of decomposition, I consider the 

 last as the most probable. At all events I prefer for the 

 present considering it as the true one, since it shows the pos- 

 sibility of all the products of decomposition, except the 

 alcohol, being formed from one equivalent of sugar. It cor- 

 responds with the mode of decomposition according to which 

 Liebig supposes malic acid to split up into succinic, acetic. 



