78 
Proceedings of the PiOyal Society 
the composition of inverted sugar by analysis. He has attempted 
to separate the two sugars through the action of chloride of sodium. 
The dextro-glucose forms a well-defined crystalline compound with 
chloride of sodium, whereas the laevulose does not form any com¬ 
pound. The results obtained by this method differ greatly from 
theory. Instead of finding 50 per cent, of laevulose, he found 88 per 
cent. In repeating the experiments of Dubranfaut on the separation 
of levo-glucose by hydrate of lime, he has not met with any better 
results; in fact, his results are quite opposed to those of Dubranfaut. 
Apart altogether from expressing an opinion on the merits of 
the views entertained by the different parties to this discussion, 
the author has thought some observations of the same subject 
might not be unworthy of notice at the present time. 
Linneman, many years ago, applied the process of hydrogenation 
to the sugars that he had found so successful in treating the simple 
organic substances. In the way named he obtained mannite from 
inverted sugar, the following reaction taking place :— 
+ a - VH ,n,. 
Mannite had long been known to be the product of certain kinds 
of fermentation, and occurring as a secondary product in the vinous 
fermentation; but it was this elegant synthesis of Linneman that 
first clearly showed the connection. But although inverted sugar 
can be changed into mannite, the next point that demands a solu¬ 
tion is the proving the inverted sugar to be composed of equal 
quantities of dextrose and laevulose. Are they both transformed by 
hydrogenation into mannite? or is only one of them, and which? 
Linneman seems to have directed his attention to the solution 
of this question. He states that it is only the laevulose that is 
so affected. The reasons why he entertains the above views are 
not given. In all likelihood he thought that, just as Berthelot 
had changed mannite by a peculiar fermentation into levo-glucose, 
so would the levo-glucose in inverted sugar be hydrogenised into 
mannite. 
In repeating the action of sodium amalgam on inverted sugar, I 
have not seen any reason why the one sugar any more than the other 
should be supposed to generate the mannite. The following is a 
description of the mode by which the sugar was inverted and hydro- 
