On Vegetable and Animal Analysis . ad 
gen is to the hydrogen in a greater proportion than in wa- 
ter. 
Second Law. 
A vegetable substance is always resinous, oily, or al 
eoholic, &c. when the oxygen is in a less proportion to 
the hydrogen than in water. 
Third Law. 
Lastly, a vegetable substance is neither acid nor re- 
sinous, and is analogous to sugar, gum, starch, sugar of 
milk, to the ligneous fibre, to the crystallizable principle 
of manna when the oxygen is in the same proportion as in 
water. 
Thus, supposing for a moment that hydrogen and oxy- 
gen were in the state of water in vegetable substances, 
which we are far from thinking is the case, the vegetable 
acids would be formed of carbon, water and oxygen in 
various proportions. 
The resins, the fixed and volatile oils, alcohol and 
ether, would be formed of carbon, water and hydrogen, 
also in various proportions. 
Lastly, sugar, gum, starch, sugar of milk, the ligneous 
fibre, the crystallizable principle of manna, would only 
be formed of carbon and water, and would only differ in 
the greater or less quantities which they contained. 
This may be shown by citing various analyses of acid 
and resinous substances, and of substances which are nei 
ther acid nor resinous. 
One hundred parts of oxalic acid contain : 
Carbon . . 
Oxygen . . 
Hydrogen . 
. . . 26 . 566 ' 
. . . 70.689 
. . . 2.745 
^Carbon ..... 
Oxygen and hydrogen 
in the proportions in 
which they exist in 
water 
Oxygen in excess 
26.566 
22.872 
50.562 
100 
