94 
Dr. Thomson on Oxalic Acid. 
we compare Lavoisier’s statement of the composition of sugar 
obtained in a different manner, though by a mode of reason- 
ing not less hypothetical, we shall be surprised at its near 
coincidence with mine. His numbers are 
Oxygen 64 
Carbon 28 
Hydrogen 8 
100 
it is true that two different hypotheses may lead to the same 
result, and yet be both wrong ; but this becomes infinitely 
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 
an integrant particle of sugar ; but if the accuracy of the pre- 
ceding analysis be admitted, it furnishes us with an indirect 
one, which cannot be rejected ; for it is clear, that the atoms 
of oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen, will be to each other re- 
spectively, as the numbers 6 /, J-f-, -f-; and these numbers 
reduced to their lowest terms become 5, 3, 4, nearly, which 
being primes with respect to each other, must represent the 
number of atoms, of which an integrant particle of sugar is 
composed. Sugar then is a compound of 12 atoms; namely, 
five of oxygen, three of carbon, and four of hydrogen ; the 
weight of an integrant particle of it is 47.5, and its symbol is 
5 w + 31 + 4/1. It differs from oxalic acid merely in con- 
taining an additional atom of oxygen and two of hydrogen. 
If we had any method of removing these substances, without 
altering the proportion of the other constituents, we should 
