RESEARCHES ON SUGAR, MOLASSES, &C 119 
brown tint; it is a conversion of uncrystallizable grape sugar 
into a new uncrystallizable syrup, which, as will hereafter be 
seen, is readily obtained by acting on grape sugar by means 
of the alkalies. 
Molasses of commerce. I made a comparative examina- 
tion of a great number of specimens of different kinds of mo- 
lasses of commerce, and found their nature very variable; they 
most commonly consist of a mixture of all the sugars into 
which cane sugar can be converted, namely: 1st, cane sugar 
dissolved in the uncrystallizable syrups; 2d, an uncrystal- 
lizable s)^rup which can be converted into grape sugar by the 
acids; 3d, a black, uncrystallizable sugar, resulting from an 
alteration of the grape sugar; 4th, in most cases there ought 
to be grape sugar resulting from the action of the free acids of 
the sugar cane, or beet on the cane sugar; but I have never 
been able to extract it without recourse to the use of acids; 
whilst with these agents, the greatest portion of the rich mo- 
lasses, that is those containing the most cane sugar, and the 
first variety of uncrystallizable sugar, can be converted into 
grape sugar. 
I should add that heat alone will not convert cane sugar 
into grape sugar; it first changes into an uncrystallizable syrup, 
and afterwards with time and an increase of the heat above 
230°, it is transformed into the second variety, without my 
ever having been able to separate sugar in the intermediate 
state of grape sugar. 
Action of Alkalies. To appreciate this action, great care 
is necessary, and all attendant circumstances are to be taken 
into the account. Not to cite well known facts, sugar heated 
with potash to a certain temperature, affords ulmic acid; and 
at another, it furnishes oxalic acid; in contact with anhydrous 
lime, it affords, as has lately been shown by Fremy, jr., 
acetone, metacone and carbonic acid. In fact, many of the 
discordant results obtained by different chemists may have 
arisen from a want of attention to similar discrepancies of con- 
