234 CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATIONS 



Now, in the decomposition of a complex organic 

 atom, there is nothing similar to this. 



The empirical formula of sulphate of potash is 

 SKO 4 . It contains only 1 eq. of sulphur, and 

 1 eq. of potassium. We may suppose the oxygen 

 to be differently distributed in the compound, and 

 by a decomposition we may remove a part or all 

 of it, or replace one of the constituents of the 

 compound by another substance. But we cannot 

 produce a different arrangement of the atoms, 

 because they are already disposed in the simplest 

 form in which it is possible for them to combine. 

 Now, let us compare the composition of sugar of 

 grapes with the above: here 12eq. of carbon, 12 

 eq. of hydrogen, and 12 eq. of oxygen, are united 

 together, and we know that they are capable of 

 combining with each other in the most various 

 ways. From the formula of sugar, we might 

 consider it either as a hydrate of carbon, wood, 

 starch, or sugar of milk, or further, as a compound 

 of ether with alcohol or of formic acid with sachul- 

 min.* Indeed we may calculate almost all the 

 known organic compounds containing no nitrogen 

 from sugar, by simply adding the elements of water, 

 or by replacing any one of its elementary consti- 

 tuents by a different substance. The elements 

 necessary to form these compounds are therefore 

 contained in the sugar, and they must also possess 



* The black precipitate obtained by the action of hydrochloric acid on 

 sugar. 



