196 



NA TURE 



[June 30, 1904 



and so approximately that percentage is from the 

 evolutionist's point of view, of no account.) The most 

 thorough-going Darwinian would agree that a nation 

 is weakened by class antagonism, just as a hive of 

 bees would suffer if tlie workers were divided into two 

 factions who were always thwarting one another. 

 The struggle for existence often takes the form of a 

 struggle between communities, not between in- 

 dividuals, and it scarcely needs to be said that one 

 which is not distracted by disunion is stronger than 

 one which is. Disunion within is a bad thing, but 

 opposition from without may be a blessing. The con- 

 stant presence of an enemy almost at the gates was 

 the making of ancient Rome. M. de Lanessan owns 

 that war, more than anything else, strengthens the 

 bond of union among citizens and fosters the growth 

 of patriotism. Indeed, without war national feeling 

 would not have existed. Our author, after half 

 admitting this, speaks of a supreme phase of evolution 

 when there will be no distinction of races. 



The second part of the book is more practical and 

 more interesting. Anti-Darwinism disappears for a 

 while, and we hear only of the duties of tlie State. 

 Since unchecked competition, whether between classes 

 or individuals, is disastrous, the State must limit and 

 regulate it. The State must deal with questions of 

 public health, inspect factories, and see that workmen 

 are not exposed to unnecessary dangers and are com- 

 pensated if injured. The State should see that distress 

 is relieved. Old age pensions should be provided even 

 for those who are too poor to contribute towards them 

 themselves. But saving should be encouraged in 

 every way, though our author owns that accumulations 

 of capital lead men to choose the wrong women as 

 wives. The State must make every effort to prevent 

 war between capitalists and their employes. \ long 

 chapter is devoted to the progress of the race, no dis- 

 tinction being drawn between evolution and progress 

 in civilisation. Mothers and their children must be 

 better cared for. The length of the working day must 

 be curtailed, since this would ennoble the lives of 

 workmen, and so improve future generations. Educa- 

 tion must be supplied gratis by the State, and should 

 be of a practical kind, the subjects being such as will 

 help a boy in after life. Science, not literature, is what 

 is wanted. Finally, morality and religion come up for 

 discussion. The State must instil moral principles 

 and leave religion alone. Altogether the State has a 

 great deal of work to do. F. W. H. 



CHEMISTRY OF THE SUGARS. 

 Die Chemie der Zuckerarten. By Prof. E. O. von 

 Lippmann. Dritte Auflage. Two vols. Pp. 

 xxxiii + 2003. (Brunswick; Vieweg und Sohn, 

 1904.) Price 30 marks, 



THE appearance of a new edition of Prof, von Lipp- 

 mann 's well known treatise is of importance to ail 

 interested in the chemistry of the sugars. To workers 

 in this field the book has long been indispensable and 

 in daily use. The author is to be congratulated on the 

 care and accuracy with which he has compiled the third 

 edition. Since the appearance of the previous edition, 

 in 1895, the work has almost doubled in size, owing to 

 NO. 1809, VOL. 70] 



the very large amount of investigation which has been 

 done in connection with the carbohydrates, especially 

 on the physiological side. Two new chapters, dealing 

 with formation in the plant and physiological behaviour 

 of the sugars, have been appropriately introduced. The 

 book preserves its former arrangement : under each 

 sugar is given its occurrence, preparation, properties, 

 estimation and a complete glossary of its derivatives, 

 so that reference to any particular point is very easily 

 made. Special chapters are devoted to constitution, 

 configuration and synthesis and to the relationship 

 between the physical constants of the various sugars. 

 The book is clearly printed in large type and space 

 formulee are liberally used. The inclusion of inves- 

 tigations published early this year shows how com- 

 pletely the account has been brought up to date and 

 reflects the greatest credit on author and printers alike. 



It is easy, with the aid of such a work, to take stock 

 of the progress made in sugar-chemistry during the last 

 ten years, the second edition having been published 

 shortly after Fischer's classic syntheses of the hexose 

 sugars. To the eleven out of the possible sixteen aldo- 

 hexoses, synthesised by this chemist, no new additions 

 have been made, though the degradation methods of 

 Wohl and Ruff have enabled us practically to complete 

 the series of the inferior sugars — thus there are de- 

 scribed two aldo- and one keto-trioses, four aldo- and 

 one keto-tetroses and seven aldo- and four keto-pen- 

 toses, only one aldo-pentose, Z-lyxose, remaining to be 

 synthesised. But our shortcomings are also painfully 

 evident. Although the series of the monosaccharides 

 is almost complete but little progress has been made 

 either in characterising or in determining the struc- 

 ture of the disaccharides ; and from the synthesis of 

 cane-sugar by purely chemical means we are seemingly 

 as far off as ever. One natural biose — melibiose — 

 however, does appear to have been obtained syn- 

 thetically and the most recent work points to the possi- 

 bility of synthesising biose sugars by means of 

 enzymes, a process which must be closely allied to that 

 taking place in nature. It is in this direction, in fact, 

 that we have grounds to hope for the next great 

 advance in our knowledge. 



The relationship between configuration and suscepti- 

 bility to the action of enzymes or to alcoholic ferments 

 affords one of the most striking chapters in physio- 

 logical chemistry. Thus the only fermentable sugars 

 contain six carbon atoms — neither more nor less. The 

 statement that glycerose syrup was fermentable has 

 since been withdrawn and we believe also that the sup- 

 posed fermentability of mannononose has been recog- 

 nised as incorrect. Of the eleven known aldo-hexoses 

 only three — glucose, mannose and galactose — and but 

 one ketose — fructose — are fermentable. Not only do 

 these fermentable hexoses occur naturally but three of 

 them are so closely related that they possess a common 

 enolic form ; it is all the more remarkable that the 

 closely related aldopentoses, arabinose and xylose, 

 which are so abundant in nature, are not fermentable. 



Regarding the work as a whole, it is beyond question 

 that not only those interested in the carbohydrates but 

 chemists generally owe Prof. Lippmann a great debt of 

 gratitude for his labours. E. F. A. 



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