The Typical Cellulose and the Cellulose Group 69 



(a) () (c) 



The decomposition by heat is accompanied, in the case of 

 two of the above products viz. the raw cotton (a), and the 

 cellulose regenerated from the thiocarbonate solution (c) by a 

 well-marked exothermic reaction. 



The distillation being carried out in a glass flask heated in 

 an air bath, and the temperatures within the flask and in the 

 surrounding air space being carefully noted, it is observed that 

 at about 325 the former rises suddenly several degrees, and the 

 rise is accompanied by a rush of gases. The reaction is not 

 observed, however, in the case of the bleached cotton. 



This exothermic resolution of the molecule we are not yet 

 in a position to interpret, though we may conclude that it is 

 the expression of some special constitutional feature. It is 

 attended with the formation of gaseous products, of which 

 the greater proportion are the oxides of carbon. It will be 



