Experimental and Applied 251 



in the case of electrolytes, it is sufficiently established that solution 

 is attended by dissociation into ions. 



This aspect of solution may very well be taken up in dealing 

 with the solution phenomena of the carbohydrates. The lower 

 members of the series, in solution, show in most cases considerable 

 sensitiveness to the action of acids and bases, and form a number 

 of ' molecular ' compounds with salts such as sodium and calcium 

 chlorides which may very well be considered as double salts- 

 This indicates a saline character of the molecule in solution. The 

 phenomena of alcoholic fermentation also point in the same 

 direction. The resolution of a dextrose molecule into alcohol and 

 carbonic acid has entirely the characteristics of an electrolytic 

 split ; and it is fair to assume that the molecule in aqueous 

 solution already manifests a 'strain' in the direction in which 

 cleavage ultimately takes place. In regard to cellulose in solution, 

 it is also reasonable to assume a similar 'polarisation' ; and the 

 reactivity of the cellulose regenerated from solution is explained 

 by assuming that this polarity is in a measure retained. 



In regard to the hydrates of cellulose, and the extraordinary 

 power which cellulose has of solidifying water, it appears that 

 cellulose must have the capacity of absorbing into itself the * energy 

 of condition ' of water. 



It would be important to determine the physical constants 

 volume and vapour tension of the water, in the form of a series 

 of definite hydrates of cellulose. This would afford a measure of 

 transference of energy from the water to the cellulose. 



Cellulose Benzoates. These reactions have been studied only 

 under ordinary conditions of temperature, and under conditions 

 where there is considerable loss of the anhydrochloride in waste 

 reaction with the alkali. This impedes the direct synthetical 

 reaction between the cellulose and benzoyl residues, and causes 

 large variations of the product. The reaction is necessarily diffi- 

 cult to control, especially in the case of the insoluble alkali cellu- 

 loses, and requires further systematic investigation from this point 

 of view, which will also result in the formation of definite and uni- 

 form products, i.e. so far as is attainable with a reaction in which 

 the original substance and derivative are both insoluble in the 

 reaction medium. 



The conditions requiring systematic variation are (i) the 



