416 BULLETIN OF THE BUSSEY INSTITUTION. 
precipitates were thrown down from the solution either by alcohol 
or acids. 
Fir wood similarly treated with soda lye of 1.162 sp. gr. (14% 
NaHO) dissolved to the extent of 35.5%. From this’ solution 
alcohol threw down 4.8% of the air dried wood and acid threw 
down 2%. 
On repeating these experiments under pressures of 5 and 10 
atmospheres the following results were obtained : — Soda lye of 
1.043 sp. gr. under a pressure of 5 atmospheres dissolved 51% 
of the air dried fir wood. Alcohol gave no precipitate in this 
solution, but acid threw down 16% of the wood. Under a pres- 
sure of 10 atmospheres, the lye of 1.0438 sp. gr. dissolved 70% of 
the wood, and from this solution alcohol threw down some traces 
of a precipitate, while acid threw down 17%. 
Soda lye of 1.09 sp. gr. under a pressure of 5 atmospheres dis- 
solved 76% of the wood, and alcohol produced a small precipitate 
- in this solution amounting to 2% of the wood, while acid threw 
down a precipitate equal to 16% of the wood. Under a pressure 
of 10 atmospheres the lye of 1.09 sp. gr. dissolved 82% of the air 
dried fir wood, and in this solution alcohol threw down 2% and 
acid 25% of the weight of the wood. 
Soda lye of 1.162 sp. gr. under a pressure of 5 atmospheres 
dissolved 92% of the fir wood, 7. e. almost the whole of the wood. 
From this solution alcohol threw down 27% and acid 25% of the 
weight of the wood. | 
It is noticeable of all the woods, 7. e. both fir and beech and of 
cellulose itself that the action of strong lyes under high pressures 
is deep-seated. Tauss found that soda lye of 1.162 sp. gr., under 
a pressure of 5 atmospheres, dissolved 77% of air dried Swedish 
filter paper. Lye of 1.09 sp. gr., acting under a pressure of 10 
atmospheres, dissolved 50% of the paper and from this solution 
alcohol threw down a precipitate equal to 10.3%, So with the fir 
wood, it will be noticed that matters precipitable by alcohol began 
to be obtained in abundance only when the wood was treated with 
strong lye under high pressure, although the wood itself was dis- 
solved to no inconsiderable extent by weak lyes at high tempera- 
tures and pressures. 
Beech wood, on‘ the contrary, yielded an abundance of wood- 
gum to hot weak lyes under the ordinary pressure. Indeed, the 
ee 
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