36  Influence  of  Car box yl  Group  on  Poisons.  -'Am-  j£?;£j£Tm 
found  to  be  identical  with  the  naturally  occurring  perseitol'.  By 
subjecting  the  heptose  to  similar  treatment,  octonic  acid  results, 
from  which  octose  is  prepared.  In  the  case  of  the  sugars  derived 
from  mannose,  the  synthesis  has  been  carried  as  far  as  manno- 
nonose. 
Most  of  the  work  hitherto  recorded  has  been  done  on  the 
hexoses  and  the  sugars  synthesized  from  them.  The  bioses,  how- 
ever, have  not  been  neglected  ;  by  gentle  oxidation  of  milk  sugar, 
monobasic  lactobionic  acid,  C^H.^O^,  is  obtained,  and  this  gives  on 
hydrolysis  with  dilute  sulphuric  acid  galactose  and  gluconic  acid  ; 
maltose  yields  a  similar  maltobionic  acid,  giving  glucose  and 
gluconic  acid  on  hydrolysis.  By  treating  glucose  with  hydrochloric 
acid,  a  new  biose,  called  glucobiose  or  iso-maltose,  is  obtained. 
THE  INFLUENCE  OF  THE  CARBOXYL  GROUP  OX  THE 
POISONOUS  ACTION  OF  THE  AROMATIC 
COMPOUNDS. 
By  W.  Xencki  and  H.  Bautmy. 
The  researches  of  the  authors  are  intended  to  show,  on  the  basis 
of  earlier  as  well  as  recent  facts,  that  the  introduction  of  the  carboxyl 
group,  C02H,  into  the  molecule  of  a  great  number  of  aromatic  com- 
pounds involves  a  great  decrease  of  their  toxic  action. 
As  the  main  cause  of  poisoning  is  to  be  sought  in  reductive 
phenomena,  the  diminution  of  the  toxic  action  may  be  explained 
by  the  consideration  that  it  represents  a  group  saturated  with 
oxygen  which  is  not  further  reduced  in  the  organism.  Benzon, 
naphthaline,  pyridine,  quinoline,  are  well  known  to  be  rather  power- 
ful poisons.  Benzol-  and  naphthaline  carbonic  acids  are  feeble 
poisons,  and  such  will  be  found  to  be  the  corresponding  carboxyl- 
compounds  of  quinoline  and  pyridine.  Whilst  the  phenols  exert  a 
powerfully  toxic  action  this  is  considerably  lessened  in  the  corre- 
sponding carbon  acids.  Carboxyl,  however,  diminishes  the  toxic 
power  not  only  in  the  aromatic  hydrocarbons,  amines,  and  phenols, 
but  also  in  very  complex  aromatic  compounds.  Antifibrine  (?)  is 
eliminated  in  the  urine  as  orthoxycarboml,  the  sulpho-salt  of  which 
possesses,  according  to  Demme,  a  considerably  poisonous  action. 
The  corresponding  orthoxyl-carbonil  carbonic  acid — a  white  crys- 
talline substance,  fusible  at  300°,  and  very  sparingly  soluble  in  the 
