1882.] Dr Latham, On the Composition of Albumen. 175 



Let us now assume that albumen is a compound of cyanhydrins, 

 and that we must have either single molecules of each or multiples 

 of three, and that mandelic cyanhydrin is the one from which 

 tyrosine is obtained. If we take it as the unit we must have in 

 the first instance one molecule of mandelic cyanhydrin with 

 three of each of those cyanhydrins from which leucine can be 

 derived — 



(o.H,.OHp + ( m)a 0Q > (c.H M Q. 



mandelic cyanhydrin diethyl-ketone pentene 

 cyanhydrin cyanhydrin 



To approximate to Lieberkiihn's formula it is quite evident that of 

 the remaining cyanhydrins to which reference has been made a 

 large proportion of the lowest in the series must be taken to 

 satisfy the numbers. Taking then nine molecules of methene 

 cyanhydrin and one each of the remainder we have 



(0H,Q t + ((0H, 1 0Q(0 1 H..CHQ + /0 A e) 



methene dimethyl ketone propene cyan- V <■ 



cyanhyd. cyanhydrin hydrin glycerin 



+ (oh..ohQ(c,h,Q + i W 



OH\ 

 OH 1 

 ON/ 



•in 



cyanhydrin 



ethidene cyan- ethene cyan- sulphurous 

 hydrin hydrin acid 



and the whole compound becomes 



\ ICN/ 



— ^Sn-tl 1*151-^ 91 O.15U 



80- , - , ■133- L, 21 W 25 K 



three molecules of this undergoing condensation will give as the 

 composition of albumen 



albumen 



which differs from Schutzenberger's formula, C 240 H. J87 N c .Oj,.S 3 , only 

 in the small amounts of hydrogen and nitrogen. 



