768 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XIV. No. 359. 



to the author's ' theory of the cellulose mole- 

 cule,' curious to ascertain the data upon which 

 the author's theory is based, the methods of 

 rsasoning by which he arrives at his conclusions, 

 and the form that his theory takes. He will 

 find that it is based on the statements, of Cross 

 and Bevan that in mercerizing cellulose with 

 sodium hydroxide a definite reaction takes place 

 ' in the molecular ratio Cj^H^gOj^ : 2 NaOH 

 accompanied by combination with water (hy- 

 dration) ' ; that the compound thus formed is 

 decomposed on washing with water, ' the cel- 

 lulose appearing in a modified form, viz., as the 

 hydrate Cj,^HjqOj(, ■ H^O ' ; that by treatment with 

 alcohol ' one half of the alkali is removed * * * 

 the reacting groups remaining associated in 

 the ratio CiaH^gOjo . NaOH ' ; that the process 

 of mercerization is accelerated ' on exposure to 

 a lye of 1.225-1.275 sp.gr.' * * * ' by reduc- 

 tion of temperature,' which, Bernadou states, 

 presents ' an analogy to the increased solubility 

 of nitro-cellulose in ether and ether-alcohol 

 upon application of cold ' ; that the quantita- 

 tive regeneration of cellulose from thio-carbo- 

 nate solutions and the saline character of aque- 

 ous solvents of cellulose led Cross and Bevan 

 to express the belief that cellulose yields only 

 under the simultaneous strain of acid and basic 

 groups, and to assume, ' that the OH groups in 

 cellulose are of similarly opposite function,' 

 but ' that apart from any hypotheses, we may 

 lay stress on the fact that these processes (of 

 dissolving cellulose) have the common feature 

 of attacking cellulose in the two directions cor- 

 responding with those of electrolytic straia.' 



With these data and some few experiments 

 ®f his own on solubility at low temperatures, 

 Bernadou sets out to demonstrate the constitu- 

 tion of the cellulose molecule. He finds it 

 necessary, however, at the outset to assume 

 that ethyl hydroxide has the constitution which 

 chemists have assigned to dimethyl oxide, and 

 then taking as his empirical formula CuHjoOio, 

 without giving any experimental data for doing 

 so, he writes the constitutional formula for cel- 

 lulose as a closed chain with double bonds for 

 the central carbon atoms, notwithstanding that 

 Cross and Bevan (the authority he quotes) in 

 speaking of the celluloses say, on page 2 of ' Cel- 

 lulose,' 1895: " Their reactions are those of 'sat- 



urated ' compounds. Their empirical formulse 

 and relationships to the carbohydrates of lower 

 molecular weight further indicate ' single-bond ' 

 linking of their C atoms as exclusively prevail- 

 ing. ' ' On page 81 of ' Researches on Cellulose, ' 

 1901, Cross and Bevan give a ring formula for 

 cellulose as proposed by Vignon, but it is quite 

 different from any given by Bernadou and 

 the recent experimental data which suggest 

 such an arrangement are cited. Having thus 

 obtained a ' satisfied ' molecule, Bernadou notes 

 that the existence of the ' double central car- 

 bon bonds ' permits the formula for the mole- 

 cule, 'on its entering into combination,^ to be 

 written with its four ' ethylene ' bonds as 

 linking, and then that, ' without radical modi- 

 fication,' these median bonds may be termi- 

 nal. By now splitting this last molecule trans- 

 versely he obtains the formula for his CgH^jOs, 

 which he states ' is the simplest expression for 

 cellulose ' and ' represents not the molecule, 

 but the type unit of cellulose as it enters into 

 combination through its four free single carbon 

 bonds,' and with this ' type unit ' he proceeds 

 to build ' polymers' exhibiting his 2-phase and 

 5-phase molecules, the latter being a cycle. 



Of these he says, "It is evident that under 

 such an assumption the molecule may possess 

 an infinity of phases. On this assumption, and, 

 it seems to me, on this assumption only, may we 

 account for definite chemical composition of the 

 cellular form in the plant structure. For we 

 may regard the cell as built up from an aggre- 

 gate of molecules of identical composition but 

 of progressively varying numerical phase. The 

 cell may begin with molecules of low phase and 

 end with molecules of high phase, or con- 

 versely." 



Again, " The conventional ring-formed com- 

 bination of elemental particles shown in the 

 polyphase molecule strongly suggests the vor- 

 tex-ring theory of the composition of matter (as 

 applicable to the molecule).^'' 



And again, " Such a molecule would increase 

 in amplitude according to the number of ele- 

 mental particles entering into its composition ; 

 and the thought suggests itself that progressive 

 variation in the amplitude of the molecular ring is 

 a characteristic of organic life. Or, conversely, 

 we may state that we may seek for the beginnings 



