BULLETIN OF THE BUSSEY INSTITUTION. 44] 
of the wood. Such reversion has repeatedly been noticed by 
chemists,* and there are researches by Grimaux and Lefévre,t 
by Gautier,} and by Fischer,§ which help to explain what kinds 
of products are formed. 
The residual wood, taken from the acid liquor of these first 
trials with dilute acid, was soaked in strong hydrochloric acid of 
35%, during 24 hours, and the mixture was then poured into 
boiling water, taken in such quantity that the final strength of 
the acid in the mixture should be 3%. In the 3% acid thus 
obtained, the residual wood was boiled over a free flame during 
6 hours. The liquid was then neutralized with sodium hydroxide, 
evaporated, and decolorized with bone-black. The specific rota- 
tion was found to be quasi(a) D = 70°.84, and Fehling’s liquor 
showed 3.79% of ‘‘ dextrose” calculated on the material operated 
upon or to 3.17% of the dry wood. 
The wood left after the foregoing treatments with hydrochloric 
acid was rubbed up with 10 c.c. of concentrated sulphuric acid 
(of 92.5% H,SO,), and the dark brown mixture was left to itself 
during 24 hours; it was then poured into enough boiling water to 
yield an acid containing 3% of H,SO, and was boiled therein 
during 3.5 hours. After filtration a part of the liquid was neu- 
tralized with sodium hydroxide. It was clear enough to be 
examined without the use of decolorizing agents. It gave quasi 
(a2) D = 66°.16 and ‘‘ dextrose” amounting to 33.50% of the 
dry residue or to 27.04% of the dry wood. This solution may 
be called ‘* A.” Another portion of the filtered acid liquid was 
boiled 3.5 hours longer, without any further addition of acid, and 
was then neutralized with calcium carbonate, filtered and evapo- 
rated. The solution was clear enough to be examined without 
decolorizing it. The approximate specific rotation was quasi. 
(a) D = 64°.82, and the ‘‘ sugar,” as shown by Fehling’s liquor 
and calculated as dextrose, amounted to 35.08% of the dry 
residue. This solution may be called ‘‘ B.” 
* Compare, for example, the memoir of Wohl in Berichte der deutschen 
chemischen Gesellschaft. 1890, 23.2095, and Wohl’s list (on p. 2084) of the 
names of chemists who have worked upon the subject. 
+ Comptes Rendus. 1886, 103. 146. 
t Bulletin de la Société Chimique de Paris. 1874, 22. 145. 
§ Berichte der deutschen chemischen Gesellschaft, 23. 3687, 26. 2400, 
2.7. 2478, 28. 1145, 1167, 3024. 
