SELECTED ARTICLES. 
^ 
ART. XX. RESEARCHES ON SUGAR, MOLASSES, &c. 
By A. Bouchardat. 
One of the most interesting parts of chemistry, is that re- 
lating to the transformation of one immediate principle into 
another. If, in particular, we consider the neutral ternary prin- 
ciples furnished by vegetables, we discover bodies which are 
formed of the same elements, in proportions so nearly similar, 
that oftentimes, to use the words of Berzelius, we may refer 
the differences stated to exist, to errors of observation, we 
find these bodies, I say, so widely dissimilar in their physi- 
cal properties that it could scarcely be supposed that woody 
fibre, starch and sugar belonged to the same group. But it 
has been found that the composition of these substances was 
very analogous, and their transformation under various in- 
fluences into each other, has confirmed the justness of classing 
them together. 
I. Of the species composing the genus Sugar. 
All bodies which are transformed by fermentation into car- 
bonic acid and alcohol, must be arranged in the genus Sugar, 
which will thus comprehend three species, 1. Cane sugar; 
2. Grape sugar; 3. Mushroom sugar; Maple, Beet and Cane 
sugars form one and the same variety; but we shall see that 
there are several varieties of grape sugar. 
At the present time I shall notice only the action of acids 
and alkalies on sugars, and of the different kinds of sugar on 
each other, as these are the most interesting in a practical 
point of view. 
The following experiments will show how far I agree with 
