294 REPORT— 1898. 



as Professor ToUens, and we will not quarrel with his decision ' to retain the 

 old name pentosanes for this group of substances,' instead of ' the indefinite 

 name of furfuroids proposed by Cross and Bevan.' We will only remark 

 that, as the idea has been abandoned that they are exclusively and defi- 

 nitely pentosanes, it appears more logical to adopt a term of corresponding 

 significance. 



We ourselves have recently carried out a more extended series of 

 fermentation experiments which further define these products, and the 

 results of this work will be published in the course of the autumn. 



Generally, the position fi.)r which we have long contended may be taken 

 as fully established, viz. that the plant world affords a group of furfural- 

 yielding bodies, probably carbohydrates, which are susceptible of fermen- 

 tation by yeast. 



, We have next resumed the study of the problem of the relationship of 

 such compounds to the normal hexoses, on the basis of the purely chemical 

 probabilities. We have previously shown that furfuroids are produced 

 f x'om the hexoses by many processes of oxidation. One such process, which 

 we had overlooked, appeared from the researches of Fenton in the province 

 of the dicarboxylic acids to be capable of extension to other hydroxy 

 compounds, such as the carbohydrates — that is, the action of hydrogen 

 peroxide in presence of iron salts. A research in this direction has led to 

 positive results. We have not only succeeded in producing furfuroids in 

 some quantity — 7 to 9 per cent, of the hexaldoses — but we find that dicar- 

 bonyl derivatives are produced reacting with phenylhydrazine acetate in 

 the cold to form dihydrazones, which appear to be osazones. We have 

 published a preliminary account of this research in the ' Journal 'of the 

 Chem. Soc' 1898, p. 463, and since the publication of the paper we have 

 been joined in the investigations by Dr. R. S. Morrell. Results have been 

 obtained confirming and extending those of our preliminary paper, and 

 these will be published in the course of the autumn. We have every ex- 

 pectation that the investigations will lead to results of physiological 

 significance by elucidating processes actually taking place in the plant- 

 cell. 



The EledrohjtiG Methods of Quantitative Analysis.— Fifth Report of the 

 Committee, consisting of Professor J. Emerson Keynolds (Chair- 

 man), Dr. C. A. KoHX {Secretary), Professor P. Fraxkland, Pro- 

 fessor F. Clowes, Dr. Hugh Marshall, Mr. A. E. Fletcher, 

 and Professor W. Carleton Williams. 



PAGE 



The Beterrmnatinn of Zinc. By Professor "W. Caeleton Williams, B.Sc. . 295 

 The Determination of Nicliel and Cobalt (Part I.). B» Hugh Marshall, 

 B.Sc., F.R.S.E. ■ 300 



A CONSIDERABLE portion of the experimental work in progress last year 

 has now been completed, and the investigations on the determination of 

 zinc, cobalt and nickel are included in the present Report. Further work 

 on the determination of bismuth, the first portion of which was published 

 in the third report of the Committee, is in hand, but is not yet ready for 

 publication. It is proposed to proceed with the study of the methods 

 for separating cobalt, nickel, iron and zinc respectively from other metals. 

 The Committee ask for reappointment, without further grant. 



