A Manual of the Chemistry of the Carbon Compounds

THE GARBON COMPOUNDS. 281
Oa heating, it is oonverted into Imdosan CJH^OJ, an amorphous
mass, which may be reconverted into levulose by boiling it with a
dilute acid.
By saturating a dilute solution of levulose with chlorine, and
then treating the liquid with silver oxide, no gluconic acid is formed,
but glycoUie add.
From this it appears that the constitution of levulose is different
from that of dextrose; it is also the aldehyde of a Lexad alcohol
radical, ami its constitution may be expressed by the following
formula, which at least readily explains why it is easily resolved into
glycollic acid:-
HO.C
CH. H.OH
CH.OH
COH
Now, as cane-sugar has to be regarded as an ether, its constitution
would be as follows;— CIL.OH
H3.OH
This formula shows that cane-sugar contains the group hydroxyl
eight times, a fact which is proved by its forming an acetic ether containing
eight acetyls (page 286); and further, it is shown that in canesugar
the aldehyde-group COH is not present; it acts therefore as
reducing agent only after being resolved into dextrose and kvulose.
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