334  ACTION  OF  WATER  UPON  u  CARBOHYDRATES." 
vapors.  Ammonia  can  also  be  used  by  saturating  a  handkerchief 
with  a  weak  solution,  and  allowing  the  steam  to  blow  through  it. 
On  referring,  after  the  danger  of  the  case  was  over,  to  works  on 
the  subject,  I  find  neither  Beck  nor  Taylor  speak  of  bromine. 
While  they  recognize  the  compounds  of  this  halogen  with  others, 
they  do  not  speak  of  its  peculiar  poisonous  effect  or  its  mode  of 
treatment.  Of  course,  when  a  corrosive  poison  has  been  swal- 
lowed the  treatment  is  entirely  different. —  The  Detroit  Rev.  of 
Med.  and,  Phar.,  April,  1867. 
Note. — A  direct  antidote  to  the  poisonous  effects  of  the  inhalation  of 
chlorine  is  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  which  ought  to  answer  in  like  cases  of 
bromine  poisoning  ;  the  halogen  combining  instantly  with  the  hydrogen, 
liberates  sulphur.  We  have  tried  it  ourselves  after  accidentally  inhaling 
chlorine  and  obtained  immediate  relief.      .  J.  M.  M. 
ON  THE  ACTION  OF  WATER  UPON  "CARBOHYDRATES" 
AT  AN  ELEVATED  TEMPERATURE. 
By  0.  Loew. 
It  is  well  known  that  the  carbohydrates  are  not  decomposed 
with  separation  of  carbon,  at  a  temperature  of  170°  C.  Cane- 
sugar  yields  at  160°  levulosan  and  glucose,  at  180°  caramelan, 
at  200°  caramel,  assamar  and  caramelin,  and  at  about  250°  it 
yields  with  total  decomposition  aldehyd,  aceton,  acetic  acid,  fur- 
furol  and  carbon.  But  the  decomposition  takes  place  quite  dif- 
ferent if  water  is  present.  While  dried  sugar  yields  only  levulo- 
san and  glucose  at  160°,  it  is  perfectly  decomposed  on  heating 
with  water  in  sealed  tubes  at  the  same  temperature. 
This  decomposition  is  accompanied  with  the  formation  of  car- 
bonic acid  and  separation  of  carbon.  Very  nearly  half  of  the 
carbon  contained  in  the  sugar  employed  is  thus  separated.  If 
the  black  mass  contained  in  the  tube,  which  has  a  strong  acid 
reaction,  is  distilled  with  water  and  the  distillate  saturated  with 
carbonate  of  lead,  and  evaporated,  a  salt  is  obtained  giving  all 
the  characteristic  reactions  of  formic  acid.  I  obtained  the  fol- 
lowing results  on  analysis  : 
0-5800  grm.  gave  0-593  sulphate  of  lead,  0*728  grm.  gave 
0-210CO2  and  0.046  water. 
