1882.] Dr Latham, On the Composition of Albumen. 173 



may be obtained and then converted into diniethyl-ketone-cyan- 

 hydrin* — 



(CH 3 ) 2 CO + HCN = (CH 3 ) 2 C| CN 

 acetone dimethyl-ketone-cyanhydrin 



Further on we shall see how these are related to glutamic acid. 



4. Methene cyanhydrin, the first of the series, will be obtained 

 by similar reactions — 



(OH 

 H.CHO + HCN = CH 2 i 



methyl aldehyde methene cyanhydrin 



CH 2 (OH) 2 + HON = CH 2 j°^ + H 2 

 methene glycol 



H 2 .CO + HCN = H 2 c|^ 



formic acetone 



5. Glycerine is a constituent of the animal organism, existing 

 chiefly in fat combined with hydrocyanic acid, it forms cyanhy- 

 drins — 



/OH 

 C 3 H 5 (HO) 3 + HON = C 3 H 5 JOH + H 2 



(ON 



glycerine monocyanhydrin 



6. Benzoic aldehyde is obtained by oxidising albumen, fibrin, 

 &c, by the action of manganese dioxide and sulphuric acid "J*, and 

 hippuric acid, from which benzoic acid may be obtained, is a pro- 

 duct of the animal organism. 



7. Mandelic cyanhydrin can be obtained by treating benzoic 

 aldehyde (obtained by oxidising benzyl alcohol) with hydrocyanic 

 acidj — 



fOH 

 ION 

 mandelic cyanhydrin 



C 6 H 6 . CHO + HON = C 6 H 5 . CH 



* Fownes, p. 32'J. t lb. p. 508. 



± Berichte der deutsch. chem. Gescll. xiv. s. 19G7. 



