ON  MYCOSE,  THE  SUGAR  OF  ERGOT  OF  RYE. 
347 
year  scarcely  any  ergot  could  be  collected,  as  hardly  any  was 
formed  in  consequence  of  the  season  being  so  favorable  for  the 
development  of  the  rye. 
The  crystals  have  a  sweet  taste,  and  are  very  soluble  in  water ; 
no  crystals  separate  on  the  cooling  of  an  aqueous  solution  con- 
taining 50  per  cent,  of  sugar.  In  alcohol  they  are  almost  en- 
tirely insoluble ;  boiling  alcohol  dissolves  less  than  one  hundredth 
part  of  its  weight,  and  most  of  the  portion  dissolved  crystallizes 
on  cooling.    In  ether  they  are  insoluble. 
A  solution  of  the  crystals  is  not  precipitated  by  solutions  of 
baryta  and  lime.  When  dissolved  in  a  concentrated  solution  of 
soda  and  boiled  therewith,  the  solution  did  not  become  in  the 
least  brown,  even  when  it  was  exposed  for  several  hours  to  a 
temperature  of  212°  F.,  nor  did  any  perceptible  change  take 
place. 
If  the  solution  of  the  crystals  be  mixed  with  soda  and  sul- 
phate of  copper,  a  deep  blue  solution  is  obtained,  which  does 
not  lose  its  color  or  deposit  any  protoxide  of  copper,  a  very 
slight  deposit  of  protoxide  of  copper  took  place  only  when  it 
had  been  exposed  for  several  hours  to  a  temperature  of  212°  F. 
In  the  first  hydrate  of  nitric  acid  the  sugar  dissolves  with  a 
very  inconsiderable  evolution  of  heat ;  water  separates  from  the 
solution  a  sticky  mass,  which  is  insoluble  in  water,  but  readily 
soluble  in  alcohol  and  ether ;  on  the  evaporation  of  the  alcohol 
or  ether,  the  dissolved  matter  is  left  again  in  the  sticky  state. 
When  heated,  this  body  first  of  all  melts,  and  then  becomes 
decomposed  with  incandescence  and  slight  detonation.  If  the 
sugar  be  boiled  with  ordinary  nitric  acid,  it  is  decomposed,  with 
formation  of  oxalic  acid.  Towards  nitric  acid,  alkalies  and  sul- 
phate of  copper,  therefore,  this  sugar  behaves  like  cane-sugar. 
In  fuming,  as  in  ordinary  sulphuric  acid,  it  dissolves  without 
decomposition :  the  solution  is  colorless,  but  when  it  is  heated  to 
212p  F.,  a  decomposition  takes  place,  with  production  of  a  strong 
brown  color. 
During  crystallization  the  solvent  fluid  exerts  a  great  influence 
upon  the  development  of  the  crystals  of  this  sugar,  as  upon 
similar  sugars,  such  as  sorbine  ;  from  an  aqueous  solution  it  is 
usually  obtained  with  curved  faces ;  but  from  a  solution  contain- 
ing alcohol,  with  very  beautiful  smooth  faces.    The  author  has 
