The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-21 00:00:00

DR. SCOFFERN'S PAT EN T.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sit,—The question of manufacturing and refining
sugar by the process discovered and patented by Dr.
Scoffern is one of so momentous a character to the
sugar-producing and sugar-consuming public, and to
the :great interests of humanity, that I offer no
apology for troubling you with a few remarks re-
specting it.
The ordinary process of manufacture is so destruc-
tive to the material in its crude form, that not less
than 66 per cent. are lost in the effort to secure the
remaining 34, in which, moreover, there are so many
impurities, that a further reduction to a very great
extent must take place before the sugar is fit for
the market. Now it was thought with regard to
the extract of 34 per cent. that it needed nothing
more than au ingenious mechanical contri-
vance to separate the impurities ; but long
experience has demonstrated that any ma-
chine for this purpose, however beautiful, and,
under some circumstances, valuable, could only modify
the evil to an almost inapproeUle extent. The truth
ii the diffioulty was of a chemical and not of a me-
chanical kind—chemists, the-efore, have devoted their
energies to overcome it. Tney saw clearly that the
quantity of sugar loot by the processes of drainage
and filtration arose from the imperfect crystallization
which the agency of lime, the common defecator in
the colonies, secured.
The result to be aimed at, therefore, was the dis-
covery of an agent competent to effect a complete
crystallization. Such an agent was discovered in the
acetates and sub-acetates of lead, but the great, and up
to Dr. Scoffern's discovery, the unsolved problem, con-
sisted in the want of a chemical ingredient capable of
precipitating and converting the lead into an insoluble
substance, in which shape it could he removed by fil-
tration. This problem Dr. Scoffern, in 1847, satisfac-
torily solved. He discovered that the application of
sulphurous acid gas to the liquor converted the acetic
acid into an insoluble sulphite of lead, since demon-
strated to be perfectly innocuous. This discovery he
made known to several refiners, through whom it
was tried on a large scale, and found to answer most
satisfactorily. It was subsequently patented, and the
patent secured to the inventor in every country in
which one could be obtained. The most important
feature of the discovery, however, remains to be told.
By the old system the amount of sugar extracted
from the, juice-is about six or seven per cent., by this
process the manufacturer is able to obtain from
eighteen to twenty per cent., in other words three
cwts., or thereabouts, may now be obtained in place
of one, by the time-honoured but destructive agency
of lime.
For this important invention, however, in place of
assistance from the British Government to determine
its safety and value, the inventor has had to encounter
a degree of opposition which is almost unprecedented.
Without intimation, without examination, the Colo-
nial Government issued a warning to the planters in
the colonies against the use of the process as highly
dangerous. The consequence was that the agents of
the patent, wherever they went, were met with the
caveat of Earl Grey, and found-it, ,difficult .to. obtain
a hearing, much less -ate:opportunity of experimentiz-
ing. Where they did, however, they succeeded in
establishing the double proposition that the sugar was
not only perfectly free from noxious ingredients, but
the extract threefold in quantity. Complaints were
laid before the Government of the injustice of their
proceeding, and at length, ten months after the issu-
ing of their protest, a chemical inquiry was set on
foot. The result of this was that no more lead was
found in the samples by the new process than in
those of the old—the experimentizers add, more-
over, that, in no case, in any quantity that they could
pronounce dangerous. But another body of medical
men, adjudicating on this very report, considered that
the consumption of sugar with lead in it was dan-
gerous. This applies, however, with equal force
to both processes, since both, according to
the chemical investigators, contain lead. Dr. Scoffern
replies, and subsequent investigations by chemists of
great eminence go to establish his statement, that as-
suming the existence of lead in the produce of both
processes, that his is the safer; since the lead therein
is in an insoluble and innocuous form, whilst that in
the sugar by the old process is and must be poison-
ous. But he maintains, and a number of chemical
certificates substantiate the position, that in the sugar
manufactured and refined by perfect machinery
under his process, and sold in large quantities, is
destitute of any, even the slightest trace of lead,-so
that the most delicate tests of the laboratory have
failed to discover it. It is a fact that the sugar has
been used to the exclusion of all other at the tables of
many families for two years past without any evil re-
sult. If it is added to this also that the Doctor has
offered to ingest a quantity of the sulphite of lead as
long as any one will eat the same quantity of chalk it
surely requires an immense amount of incredulity to
deny its perfect harmlessness.
Now, what I wish to call your attention to, Sir, is
the bearing of this important discovery on two of the
great questions of the day—the revival of the West
Indies :and the overthrow of slavery. Never, if the
above facts are true, was there a finer opportunity of
retrieving the condition of the estates in those islands
than by the use, especially if the process could be
made exclusive, of the patent for the manufacture of
sugar there. And were the planters free to act, can
any one imagine that capital would be wanted where
the returns are as enormous as are offered to the ca-
pitalist in such an investment. No doubt an abund-
ance of capital would flow into so profitable a channel.
The present appeal of the planters is for Government
aid, but where would the supplies go if any were
granted ? Undoubtedly where the larger portion of
the twenty millions voted for slave compensation
went, into the pockets of the merchant princes of this
country. It, however, the same remedy were applied
to West Indian estates which has, with so much be-
nefit, been applied to Irish encumbered property, the
proprietors would speedily see the propriety of adopt-
ing a process so fraught with benefit to their future
interests.
With respect to the question of slavery in the sugar
growing countries of the United States, Spain, and
Portugal, there can be no doubt that the exclusive ap-
plication of an agent like the patent to the production
of sugar in the British West Indies, would utterly
put beyond the reach of competition slave sugar pro-
duce, with the improved and increased produce of our
own colonies. At present there is a strong feeling
strengthagainstby a e
ff the,a,
rand
d to
sincerity
devel introductiono peot
if 1 oe f slaver
thatesofeeling,ur
resources
pe sr oo df
tuahc e ef
nr.
e,
eb Ice.
oe
tut e
ns the
on principles as safe
dehgd andleteiouga
nthp
heteed:
ovofefnrroo ytmmhsei
boiling-housetec
hvas
elee asnashistory
oo nrt h,
aeetiynhgdoehaf
trswsellyaoaeevrvaakeesrreyisyds.
and profitable. The slave s greatest enemy is sugar.
On the plains of Louisiana, United States, a genera-
tionlttpasaw:nl karedeavnCnle(
jyt'uyff.:rsioonlaamug:temitosnhfaieystthfihbueteelstwenty-four hours. Facts equally
in Brazil. But is there no remedy for this great evil ?
Surely the multiplication threefold by free labour of
an article of universal consumption, in the production
of which such enormous sacrifices of human life take
place, is the remedy. If the anti-slavery public re-
fuse to take it up, the self interest of men will do it,
rfysotogreat
largea consummation misataitotna i
naesd2thiet owveilrlthbreows
said
that great and effective as the efforts of philanthropists
have been, the selfishness of man has achieved what
,hey were unable to accomplish.-1 am, Sir, &c.,
Oct. 18, 1850. HUMANITAS.

ANOTHER FACT FOR THE PROTECTIONISTS
WINCANTON..—RELIEF OF THE Poon--From the financial and
statistical statement issued by the guardians of the Wincan-
ton union, for the six months ended Michaelmas last, it ap •
pears that the union comprises 39 parishes with a population
of 21,286, occupying an area of 65,019 acres, the rateable
value of which is 118,2861.; that at the formation of the
union the relief, maintenance, and management of the poor
was 14s. O'd. per head on the entire pOpulation, and that it
is now reduced to 10s. Sid. per head. The total amount of
money expended by the guardians during the six months
now ended is 5,995/, being 879/. less than was expended in
the corresponding period of 1819. 454/ less than in the cor-
responding period of 1848, and 1,686/ less than in the cor-
responding period of 1847, and the decrease in the number of
paupers is 48. From the statement to which we have re-
ferred, the affairs of this union appear to be in a most satis-
factory state.—Somerset County Gazette. [Wincanton is
situated in an exclusively agricultural district, consisting
principally of arable land.—En. Sun.]
FIRE NEAR OxFonn-sTREET.—Last evening (Sun-
day), at a few minutes before eight o'cl ck, the neighbour
hood of Dean-street, Oxford-street, was thrown into a state
of great confusion, owing to a fire of a very serious character
breaking out in the premises occupied by Mr.
Sapwell, a
grocer, &c., carrying on business at No. 86, in t
theta above -
mentioned thoroughfare. The parochial engine o Ann's
was the first to arrive, and was closely followed by several
belonging to the London establishment and that of the
West of England Company. Plenty of water having been
obtained from the New River Company's mains, the engines
were called into requisition, but the flames were not extin-
guished until a serious destruction of property had taken
place. The houses adjoining fortunately received but trifling
damage. Mr. Sapwell and his family not being at home
I when the fire occurred, it was impossible to learn whether the
sufferer was insured or not.
OXFORD, OCT. 19.--Intelligence rerohed this city
to-day of an alarming and most destructive fire, which broke
out yesterday, about mid-day, at Bloxham, a village near
Banbury, and which totally destroyed the farmhouse, ricks,
barns, a large quantity of wool, &c., belonging to Mr. Gulli-
ver, an extensive farmer residing there; also a malt-house,
and other premises belonging to Sir. Willis, part of the
homestead of Mr. Potter, a large farmer, and ten cottages,
which were totally destroyed. The origin Of the fire is un-
known, but is supposed to be the vile act of an incendiary.
Many of the labourers refused to render assistance, and stood
looking on with apparent. apathy, with their hands in their
pockets, and when the fire was at the highest on Mr. Gul-
liver's premises, one of them remarked, " It is of no conse-
quence—he can well afford to lose it!" The timely arrival
of the fire-engines from Banbury, and a good supply of hands
to work them, prevented the devouring element from de-
stroying half the village, which, until their arrival, was in
great jeopardy.
DISPATCH PROM LONDON TO CHINA.—The Penin-
sular and Oriental steamer Pekin landed the overland mails
at Hong-Kong within 45 days atter their dispatch from
London. .