230 Cellulose 



friable mass. This is a compound of stearocutic add and oleo- 

 cutic acid (infra), into which it is resolved by further treatment 

 with alkali. The alcoholic filtrate from the solid acid when 

 evaporated gives a viscous residue, of an acid body, okocutic 

 acid. 



By the further action of very concentrated potash solution 

 in the yellow acid, stearocutic acid is formed. The potash 

 salt of this acid is white and translucent, insoluble in water and 

 cold alcohol, soluble in boiling alcohol. The free acid (m.p. 

 76) is also insoluble in cold alcohol, slightly only on boiling, 

 but dissolves in benzene and in acetic acid on warming. The 

 acid also dissolves freely in alcohol in presence of oleocutic 

 acid. A similar result is seen with the potassium salt, which, 

 though insoluble in water, dissolves in an aqueous solution of 

 potassium oleocutate. 



The composition of these two acids is as under : 



Stearocutic Acid. 



C 75-00 



H 1071 



O 14-2$ 



which is expressed by the formula C 28 H 48 O 4 . This formula ia 

 confirmed by the analysis of the salts of the acid. 



Oleocutic Acid. 



C 66-66 



H 7-91 



O 25-42 



expressed by the formula C 14 H 20 O 4 . 



Cutose is regarded by Fremy as a complex of these two com- 

 pounds, in the proportion of i mol. stearocutic acid : 5 mols. 

 oleocutic acid. These acids undergo alteration on heating 

 at 1 00 in presence of water, passing into insoluble modifi- 

 cations of higher melting point. The original molecular con- 

 dition, however, is restored on heating with alkaline solutions. 



