374 Dr. Prout 07 i the ultimate composition 
it was perfectly white, but rather soft and fine in the grain. 
The East India moist sugar was of a very low kind, and known 
in commerce by the name of Burdwan sugar; it was deprived 
of its hygrometric moisture before analysis by exposure to 
sulphuric acid under a receiver. The diabetic sugar was pre¬ 
pared as above ; the results given were obtained many years 
ago, and I have had no opportunity of repeating the analysis 
with the present apparatus; I believe however that diabetic 
sugars in general belong to the Honey variety. The sugar of 
starch was prepared by myself in the usual manner. 
Of Amylaceous Principles. 
Before we proceed to consider the analysis of amylaceous 
bodies, a few remarks on the nature of these and similar sub¬ 
stances may not be deemed improper. It has been known 
from the very infancy of chemistry, that all organised bodies, 
besides the elements of which they are essentially composed, 
contain minute quantities of difi’erent foreign bodies, such as the 
earthy and alkaline salts, iron, &c. These have been usually 
considered as mere mechanical mixtures accidentally present; 
but I can by no means subscribe to this opinion. Indeed, much 
attention to this subject for many years past has satisfied me 
that they perform the most important functions ; in short, 
that organization cannot take place without them. This point 
will be more fully investigated hereafter : at present it is 
sufficient merely to observe, that many of those remarkable 
changes which crystallized bodies undergo on becoming 
organized, are more apparent than real; that is to say, their 
chemical composition frequently remains essentially the same ; 
and the only points of difference that can be traced, is the 
presence of a little more or less of water, or the intimate 
