455 



fibre of different kinds of plants, after a sufficient purification, are, 

 on the whole, in conformity with those of Payen. But ho considers 

 the formula, which Payen has derived from his results, an inconve- 

 nient one ; and that the composition of cellular fibre is in confor- 

 mity with that of inuline, rather than with that of starch, as that 

 chemist has supposed. 



The author observes that he obtained, by treating different kinds 

 of wood in different ways, a great many substances, of different 

 properties and composition. As to the composition, however, it 

 could almost always be represented by a formula, differing, more or 

 less, from that of ulmic acid, only by the number of equivalents of 

 hydrogen, that of the carbon and oxygen remaining the same. The 

 composition of the ulmic acid is, according to numerous and accu- 

 rate experiments of Pz-ofessor Mulder, C*" H^* 0^- + , a greater or 

 less number of equivalents of water, according to the temperature 

 at which the substances are dried, and the manner in which they 

 are obtained. 



Now, according to the analysis of several kinds of wood, and 

 especially of the more constant, hard perisperm of the stone fruits 

 analysed by M. von Baumhauer, the following formula is deter- 

 mined : — 



Found. Atoms. Calculated. 



Carbon, 52.5 64 52.38 



Hydrogen. 5.9 44 5.88 



Oxygen, 41.6 39 41.74 



100 100 



If we subtract from this formula . . C*^ II" O^^ 



Thatof the cellular fibre, . . . C^* H^i O^i 



There remains, . . . . C*» H^^ Qi^ 



As the average formula of all kinds of incrusting matters, which 

 may be easily reduced to this : — 



0*0 H" 012 + 6 HO, 



A combination which differs from ulmic acid only by three equiva- 

 lents of hydrogen. 



All the matters obtained and analysed by the author, could be 

 represented by formulje from C*° H^^ O^* to C*« H" 0", all the 

 others containing 20, 21, 19, etc. of hydrogen. The last formula, 

 Q40 j£u Q12 ^. water, which is at the same time that of ulmic acid, 

 represented a substance obtained after the action of strong reagents. 



