112 Journal of the Mitchell Society. [Nor. 



name celloxin for a body with the formula C a H O fi , or CJi CX, 



•> a b o' o 10 6* 



believing that the oxycelluloses are varying mixtures of cellu- 

 lose with celloxin. Attempts to isolate celloxin have been 

 unsuccessful. Vignon suggests that oxycellulose consists of 

 three molecules of cellulose associated with the group 



CHO(CHOH) 2 CHCO 

 O 



which is at once an aldehyde, an alcohol and a lactone. The 

 unsettled state of this part of the field is apparent. 



The fermentation of cellulose, although an important ques- 

 tion, has been studied by a few investigators only, notably 

 Hoppe-Seyler, Tappeiner, Omelianski and Van Senus. Insuf- 

 ficient work has been done upon pure cellulose and I have 

 undertaken this phase of the investigation. Van Tieghen 

 states that the cellulose ferment corresponds in properties 

 with "amylobacter," a bacterium described by him, and it 

 has been commonly asserted since that this was the cellulose 

 ferment. Van Senus regards this as extremely doubtful, 

 since these bacteria do not attack cellulose suspended in a 

 meat extract solution. The fermentation is anaerobic and 

 the products of decomposition are hydrogen, carbon dioxide, 

 methane, acetic and butyric acids, the proportions varying 

 with the conditions. If the fermentation can be carried out 

 so that an intermediate product like alcohol is obtained, a 

 discovery of tremendous importance will have been made. 

 The subject of fermentation is also important in its relation 

 to digestion not only in the human species but more especially 

 in herbivorous animals. 



Through the decomposition of cellulose by chemical rea- 

 gents there are obtained oxalic acid, alcohol and sugar, 

 according to the conditions employed. Classen has gotten 

 out a number of patents for the production of sugar (dextrose) 

 from wood and he makes the startling claim that sulphuric 

 acid converts all of the cellulose in wood into sugar. When 



