325 



the process, and points out some of its peculiar advantages ; the chief 

 of which is, that it is not liable to be affected by moisture. 



The composition of the saccharine principle is next considered, 

 under which term he includes all those substances in which hydro- 

 gen and oxygen unite, in the proportion in which they form water. 

 These are all alimentary, or capable of becoming so ; and, as they 

 are chiefly derived from the vegetable kingdom, the author considers 

 them as peculiarly deserving the name of vegetable aliments. Sugar 

 is first examined ; of which he states that there are at least two di- 

 stinct varieties, and probably many more (besides the sugar of milk). 

 The most perfect form of this principle is sugar-candy prepared from 

 cane-sugar, the composition of which he states to be, carbon 41 - 379, 

 and water, 5 8' 261 ; identical in composition with which are all the 

 most pure specimens of the loaf-sugar of commerce. Sugar, in this 

 state, contains water of crystallization ; and the author states that he 

 shall give his reasons at length for considering this principle, in the 

 abstract, as consisting of carbon 44'44, and water 55'55. 



The other variety of sugar, considered by the author as distinct, 

 was obtained from Narbonne honey. This was beautifully white, 

 and crystallized in spherules ; deprived of its hygrometric water, it 

 was found to consist of carbon 36'36, and water 63*63. Between 

 these two extremes, sugars of almost every possible grade occur; 

 probably, in many instances, from mixture of the above two varieties. 

 Some analyses of other sugars are given, such as East India sugar- 

 candy and refined sugar ; the sugar from the maple, beet-root, &c. 



The next class of bodies considered, is the amylaceous, and the 

 author commences with some remarks on the sense in which he em- 

 ploys the term Protorganized. He states that he has satisfied him- 

 self, from many observations, that the minute quantities of foreign 

 bodies found in all organic products, instead of being mechanically 

 mixed with them, as usually supposed, perform the most important 

 functions ; in short, that organization would not exist without them ; 

 that when a crystallized substance passes into the organized state, 

 its chemical composition frequently remains essentially the same, and 

 that the only difference that can be traced in it is the presence of a 

 little more or less of water, and invariably of minute portions of some 

 of the foreign bodies above alluded to ; and that these appear not 

 only to destroy its power of crystallizing, but usually to change en- 

 tirely its sensible properties. This subject he promises fully to illus- 

 trate hereafter, but proposes in the mean time to adopt the word 

 Protorganized, to designate all those substances formed essentially 

 on the principles of crystallized bodies, but not capable of assuming 

 that form, probably on account of the presence of the foreign bodies 

 above alluded to. 



Starch from wheat, the author considers as the most perfect form 

 of this principle ; the carbon from which varies from 38 to 40 per 

 cent., according to the degree to which it has been dried. Arrow- 

 root, which may be considered as a low variety of starch, analogous 

 to the low sugar of honey, contains still more water, capable of sepa- 



