^74i SUGAR OF STARCH. 



VI. 



On the liquid Sugar of Starch, mid the transmulation of sweet 

 Substances intofermentalle Sugar : by Mr. Vogel. Abridged 

 by Mr. Bouillon-Lagrange*. 



Sugar had not "|\T^ chemist has hitherto been able to form sugar by che- 

 cat" ^o*'"^' mical agents. It is true, that Fourcroy and some others 



pounded. supposed, ihat at some time or other we should perhaps effect 



the conversion of starch into sugar, as the component parts 

 of these two substances come infinitely near each other. 

 Supposition ''Starch," says Fourcroy, "announces itself as a little less 



that It might carbonated than gum : we may say, that it comes very near to 

 l)e formed , . , , ,, t /• i • 



from starch saccharine matter ; and we shall see hereafter, that it appears 



in fact capable of forming it by a particular alteration of its 

 own substancef." 



and from gum. Under the head gum, the same chemist expresses himself 

 as follows. " It is not improbable, that art may effect the 

 conversion of gums into saccharine matter ; and already I have 

 several times remarked, that an aqueous solution of gum, 

 through which oximuriatic gas is passed, acquires a saccharine 

 taste, mixed with a strong bitterness. This view of the subject, 

 at present quite novel, will lead to many researches, and to 

 useful results." 



Said to have It is even pretended, that several authors say they have ef- 

 een cne ; fg^ted this transmutation of fscula into saccharine matter : but 

 how is it possible, that they should have succeeded, and been 

 silent on a fact of such importance ? 



but by no one ^" looking over what has been published by natural philoso- 



before Kir- phcrs, J,t appears incontestable, that it was reserved for Mr. 



^ Kirchoff, of the imperial academy of Petersburgh, to convert 



itarch into gummy matter, and this into saccharine matter J. 



His 



* Ann. de Chlm. vol, LXXXII, p. 148. 

 Comnoaent ^ According to Messrs. Gay-Lussac and Thenar d, starch is composed 



parts of starch, of 



Carbon 43 55 



Oxigen 49-68 



Hidrogen 6-77 



lO'OOO 

 t Mr. Bouillon Lagrange has already found means cf renderin 



