ON OXAlIC ACID. 95 



It is true, that two difterent hypotheses may lead to the 

 same result, and yet be both wrong; but this becomes in- 

 finitely improbable in the present case, when we consider, 

 that the proportion of carbon, which I assign to sugar, must 

 at all events be nearly correct. 



We have no direct method of determining the weight of r"arther argu- 

 an integrant particle of sugar; but if the accuracy of the 

 preceding analysis be admitted, it furnishes us with an in- 

 direct one, which cannot be rejected; for it is clear, that the 

 atoms of oxigen, carbon, and hidrogen, will be to each 

 other respectively, as the numbers \* , |.|-, -f ; and these ni^m-* 

 bers reduced to their lowest terms become 5, 3, 4, neafly, 

 which, being primes with respect to each other, must repre- 

 sent the number of atoms, of which an integrant particle of 

 sugar is composed. Sugar then is a compound of 12 atoms ; Integrant par-. 

 namely, five of oxigen, three of carbon, and four of hidro- ^"^^'^ of sugar. 

 gen; the weight of an integrant particle of it is 47'5, and 

 its symbol \s 5 w -\- S c -\- A h. It differs from oxalic acid its difference 



merely in containing an additional atom of oxigen and two ^^"^ oxalic 



aciJt 

 of hidrogen. If we had any method of removing these 



substances, without altering the proportion of the other con- 



Atituents, we should obtain a much greater quantity of 



oxalic acid from sugar than we can at present ; but nitric 



acid acts by removing one half of the carbon in the form of 



carbonic acid ^ thie sugar, deprived of this, resolves itself 



into oxalic acid and water. Suppose two particles of sugar Theory of th< 



acted on at once, the symbol for them will be 10 w + 6 c -\- 8h. formation of 



Let three atoms of the carbon be removed by the action f^.^^^^ su«-ar, 



of the nitric acid, there will remain 10 w -{• 3 c ■{■ S h. 



Now 



A particle of oxalic acid ~ 4w+3c-\-^h 



Six particles of water • • n: 6 w -f- + 6 A 



10 u? + 3 c 4- 8 A, 

 which is just the quantity of oxalic acid left. This will 

 give us some idea of the way in which the formation of 

 oxalic acid by nitric acid is accomplished. And although 

 the series of changes is probably more complicated, yet 

 they are ultimately equivalent to the preceding statement, 

 1 allude to the formation of malic acid, which is said to pre- Malic add. 



cede 



