82 Cellulose 



oxygen being higher ; (2) by the presence of active CO groups ; 

 (3) in certain cases by the presence of the O.CH 3 group. 



The general characteristics of the group are those of the 

 oxy celluloses. It has recently been shown that these oxidised 

 derivatives of the normal celluloses are further characterised 

 by yielding furfural as a product of acid (HC1) hydrolysis. 

 The yield of this aldehyde is, in certain cases, increased by 

 previous treatment of the oxycellulose with a reagent prepared 

 by saturating sulphuric acid of 1-55 sp.gr. with HC1 gas. In 

 this reagent the oxycelluloses dissolve ; and on then diluting 

 with HC1 of ro6 sp.gr. and distilling, maximum yields of 

 furfural are obtained, the yield being a measure of the increased 

 proportion of oxygen beyond that corresponding with the 

 formula C e H 10 O 6 . 



Celluloses of this class are much more widely distributed in the 

 plant world than those of the cotton type ; they appear, from recent 

 observations, to constitute the main mass of the fundamental tissue 

 of flowering plants, in which they usually exist in intimate mixture 

 or combination with other groups more or less allied in general 

 characteristics. It appears, from a survey of the contributions of 

 investigators to the subject of cellulose, that research has been very 

 much confined to the fibrous celluloses, more particularly to such 

 as receive extended industrial use. The time has come, however, 

 when systematic research is much needed to establish at least 

 a preliminary classification of the * cellular ' celluloses upon the 

 lines of chemical constitution. Constitution, taken in relation to 

 physiological function, is an attractive subject of research ; and it is 

 in the plant cell, where synthetical opeiationsare predominant, that 

 we have to look for the foundations of the * new chemistry,' which 

 may be expressed broadly as the relation of matter to life. 



It is to be noted that the differentiation of many of these celluloses 

 from the typical cotton is, in regard to empirical composition, only 

 slight. There appear, on the other hand, to be more important 

 differences of constitution. Thus pine-wood cellulose dissolved in 

 sulphuric acid, the solution diluted and boiled, and further treated 

 by the isolation of crystallisable carbohydrates, yields these (i.e. 



