232 Cellulose 



travel outside the empirical region of preparing products of 

 decomposition answering to the more obvious criteria of de- 

 finite composition. Further investigation will need to attack 

 the more important constitutional problems presented by these 

 products. Some preliminary observations in this direction have 

 indeed been made. 



Thus on p. 190 we have cited Benedikt and Bamberger's 

 determinations of the methyl number of cork (Quercus suber), 

 the percentage of CH 3 as O.CH 3 being 2-45, which is approxi- 

 mately the mean number determined for the woods. The 

 authors have made determinations of furfural, with results as 



under : 



Cork 4-5 p.ct. 



Cuticle of apple (purified) . . 3-5 



Also of the yield of acetic and oxalic acids resulting from fusion 

 with alkaline hydrate (3 parts by weight NaOH), the fusion 

 being completed at 280, with results as under : 



Acetic acid . . . . 6*0 p.ct. 

 Oxalic acid . . . . 2*1 ,, 



These, however, are aggregate results, and cannot be specifi- 

 cally referred to the particular constituents of the cork, viz. 

 cellulose, lignocellulose, the suberin constituents proper, or the 

 1 free ' waxy constituents. They indicate, however, the direc- 

 tions of research in which results will be obtained, complement- 

 ary to the work of Fremy, on the more characteristic products 

 of decomposition of the adipocelluloses. 



In another direction also results have been obtained 

 throwing some light on the constitution of these complexes, 

 viz. in investigations by Hodges (R. Irish Acad. Proc. 3, 460) 

 and the authors (J. Chem. Soc. 57, 196) of the cuticular 

 constituents of flax. 



The flax was treated, in the form of yarn, with boiling 

 alcohol ; a bright (chlorophyll) green solution was obtained, 



