CHAPTER X 



THE FERMENTATION OF CELLULOSE AND ALLIED BODIES 



CELLULOSE, broadly speaking, constitutes the framework of 

 the vegetable world, and when the vast quantity of vegetable 

 matter on the face of the globe is considered, a knowledge 

 of the changes which accompany its decomposition and 

 absorption into the cycle of life is seen to be of the first import- 

 ance. Before considering these changes and the conditions 

 of their operation, some brief description must be given of 

 cellulose and its allied substances. 



Cellulose can be obtained as a residue after dissolving 

 out the other constituents of plants, by the following experi- 

 ment : 



Dissolve 30 grams of powdered chlorate of potash in 

 520 c.c. of cold nitric acid (s.g. I'l). Suspend in this mixture 

 a number of leaves, stems, etc., and allow them to remain 

 undisturbed at a temperature not above 20 C. until they are 

 perfectly whitened. This may require from two to three 

 weeks. 



Pure Swedish filter paper (acido hydrochlorico et fluorico 

 extracto) is practically pure cellulose. 



We are indebted for our knowledge of the chemistry of 

 cellulose in large measure to the long-continued and careful 

 researches of Cross and Bevan, from whose works the follow- 

 ing information is largely derived. 



From its empirical composition cellulose is found to belong 

 to the carbohydrates and its empirical formula is (C 6 H 10 5 ) n . 



