Messrs Morrell and Crofts, Modes of Formation of Osones. 121 



The first oxidation product of glucosone would be oxygluconic 

 acid, COOH CO(CHOH) 3 CH 2 OH, whose amino derivative would 

 have the formula 



/NH 2 

 COOH . C < (CHOH) 3 CH 2 OH. 

 x OH 



The amino acids obtainable from albumen by the action of hydro- 

 lysing agents have the amino group attached to the same carbon 

 atom with which the grouping COOH is united [A. Kossel, ' Ueber 

 den gegenwartigen Stand der Eiweisschemie,' Ber. xxxiv. 3214]. 

 Arginin, Ornithin, CH 2 NH 2 CH 2 CH 3 CH NH£!OOH, and Lysin, 

 CH 2 NH,CH 3 CH 2 CH 3 CHNH 2 COOH, and chitaminic acid (glucos- 

 amine acid), CH 2 OH(CHOH) 3 CrlNH 2 COOH [E. Fischer and 

 Leuchs, Ber. xxxv. 3787] all have the amino group in the a posi- 

 tion. From arabinose by the action of hydrocyanic acid Fischer and 

 Leuchs have obtained I glucosaminic acid, which is the optical anti- 

 pode of chitaminic acid ; they have also obtained from galactose the 

 corresponding aminogalactoheptonic acid. Derivatives of a amino 

 acids, containing a chain of five or six carbon atoms, are obtainable 

 from aldehyde alcohols [Fischer and Leuchs, Ber. xxxv. 3787], and 

 such acids might be obtained from the first oxidation products of 

 the osones. We have not found any reference in the literature to 

 the occurrence of osones in nature, and since the properties of 

 these ketoaldehyde alcohols are so peculiar, a full investigation of 

 their properties seems to be of the greatest importance. 



