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Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 39, 5 February 1864, Page 6 (Supplement)

Sugar from Serpekts' Sken t s.: — In 1861, M. de Lues made) "some experiments from which "it "appeared that the skins cast off -by ! 'silkworm's '■>'-'■' might be transformed : into sugar, r ! The same chemist has now sent in a paper tq the i^cademy of Sciences/ in> -i wHicij he describes, a similar process, for changing serpents' skins into,' suga^r. These skins contain a small quantity of a substance resembling the cellulose* of plants; soluble an;~ ammdniui'et of copperjand transformable into glucbs© which reduces the tartrate of copper and potash, and ferments under the; '•'.■ influence of yeasty yielding thereby - carbonic acid* and alcohol. Coneen- .-■'"> : trated sulphuric acid and a solution of potash are "the best re-agents ~ for depriving serpents' skins of their nitrogenous matter. The residue, although very refractory to chemical agents, may nevertheless be transformed into fermentable glucose, recognisable from its property of reducing the tartrate of copper and potash. Thus M. de Lues boiled 30 gr&nrntes pf" serpents,' skifls, in a litre of water containing 40 - grammes of caustic potash, the skins haying been previously treated with concentrated sulphuric acid. The liquid having been allowed to cool, a great deal of water was added, and the undissolved residue was several times washed by decantatkra, and then treated with ammpniurpi; pf copper; whereby an alkaline solution pb- - tamed, 5 which, on being neutralisedby hydrochloric acid, yielded. ' a white " precipitate ; this, heated in slightly" acidulated water, Reduced the tartrate of copper and potash, thereby showing that- it was glucose, ' or the "base \bx* sugar, ' Jn 'anpther wmewhoib siinxla> 'ope^a'tio» 3 glucose . wob obtained eou» tact with yeast, - producing .'capboaifl aci4 and aLepiuu. The former was jQiiipletelyabf-grbed by caustic potash j bhe a]cohol extracted front tHe goluttoij by distillation, and insulated by means oi crysfcalised carbonate of potaih, Wa« nearly pure, since it would burn with« aut leaving any residue;- Eubbed between the hands 'it' evaporated, jmittbg m agreeable smell, though Jtill pavt&king otth&b of animftl mfttte^ &>om all thui it m&y l?s eaiiehided thftt ?(&>pß».i§' «Mn3 CQfttaiw. a ywy .small litoutlty Oi' mm matter Qi? glttQD«ie»