Dr . Thomson on Oxalic Acid. gg 
in the experiments, and to believe that the whole of the oxy- 
gen of the carbonic acid was furnished by the nitric acid. This 
being admitted, it follows that the carbon of the carbonic acid, 
and the whole constituents in the oxalic acid, 
were furnished 
by the sugar. These are as follows : 
Grains. 
Carbon - 
2 7*5 
Oxygen in 45 grains oxalic acid 
28.8 
Hydrogen in ditto 
1.8 
58.1 
If this total be subtracted from the 100 grains of sugar used, 
there will be a remainder of 41.9 grains. As this quantity of 
the sugar has disappeared, and is no where to be found among 
the products, we must suppose that it has assumed the form 
of water. Now 41.9 grains of water are composed of 
Oxygen 35.9 
Hydrogen 6 
4* -9 
Adding these quantities to the preceding products, we obtain 
the composition of sugar, as follows : 
Oxygen 64.7 
Carbon 27.5 
Hydrogen 7.8 
100.0 
Though the process of reasoning, which led to this analysis 
of sugar, is too hypothetical to be trusted implicitly, yet I am 
persuaded that it is to a certain degree correct, and that the 
result obtained does not deviate very far from the truth. If 
