1819.) Proceedings of Philosophical Societies. 67 
ArticLe XII. 
Proceedings of Philosophical Societies. 
ROYAL SOCIETY. 
Dec. 10.—A paper, by M. Theodore de Saussure, was 
commenced, entitled Observations on the Decomposition of 
Starch by the Action of Air and Water at common Temper- 
atures. . 
Dec. 17 —The above paper was concluded. A portion of 
starch simply boiled in water was exposed for two years under a 
glass jar in a temperature between 68° and 77°. At the end of 
this time, about 1d of it was found converted into saccharine 
matter, having all the properties of sugar prepared from starch 
by the action of sulphuric acid, according to the method of 
M. Kirchhoff. On observing this curious circumstance, the 
author was induced to examine more attentively the nature of 
the changes which took place. He found that, besides sugar, a 
species of gum was formed, similar to that obtained by roasting 
starch ; also a peculiar intermediate substance, which he deno- 
minated amidine, while a substance remained, insoluble in water 
and acids, which gave a blue colour with iodine, and was pro- 
bably starch somewhat altered in its properties. The author 
states, that when air is present during the above process, water 
and carbonic acid gas are given off m considerable quantities, 
~and that charcoal is deposited ; but on the contrary, that when 
air is excluded no water is formed, that only a little carbonic 
acid and hydrogen are extricated ; and that no carbon is depo- 
‘sited. The author was unable to determine whether the presence 
or absence of air affected the quantity of sugar obtained. The 
paper was concluded with some remarks, which rendered it pro- 
bable that water is fixed, during chemical operations, upon organ- 
ized substances more frequently than is usually supposed. 
At this meeting also, a paper, by C. Babbage, Esq. was read, 
on the solution of some problems relating to the games of chance. 
The object of the author was to show, that a certain series of 
questions, hitherto supposed to lie beyond the reach of analytical 
investigation, might be adapted to algebraic reasoning. 
_ Dec. 24.—A paper, by Capt. Duff, R.N. was read, on the 
prevention of the dry rot in timber, by means of peat moss. The 
author, after stating the well-known effects of peat moss in pre- 
serving wood for ages unaltered, suggests that a set of experi- 
ments should be made to ascertain the effects of impregnating 
timber, both sound and already partially decayed by the dry rot, 
with the water from peat mosses, with the view of determing 
whether it possesses any power in preventing, or.suspending, the 
insidious operation of that destructive agent, 
E2 
