The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-07-25


Of the earth, now from the west towards the east
and thus they how towards the polar regions by
the western coasts and return 10 the equatorial re-
| eions by the opposite shores. Any map of the
world will show that the vast body Of water which
surrounds the continents is divided into five prin-
| cipal oceans, contained in as many basins The
| Atlantic and Pacific oceans are divided each INTO
two basins by the equator, and the flh Is that BODY
| of water between Africa and New Holland, called
| the Indian Ocean. Mr.. Soubelran has read to the
| Academy a paper giving an account OF some ex-
periments on honey, which may be not without in
terest TO your readers All of them have frequently
noticed that when honey is first deposited IN the
cells by the bees II is exceedingly transparent and
| fluid but soon afterwards il becomes more and
more thick. Ii has been long known that two dif-
ierent substances composed the honey, one OF
sirup nature, the other, which suspended IN the
| first became white and candIed, and with time
| increased in bulk while the other diminished
| Both of these substances have always been re-
| cognised as sugars. Heretofore chemists have
| not been able 10 distinguish the several sugars
one from the other, having different qualities
as tendency to capitalization, and the different
effect polarized light would have on each But Mr.
Souberan has demonstrated by the process OF ordl-
nary chemistry, assisted by those which Mr.. blot
has made known. The experiments OF Mr.. Sou
beran were made on Gatina's honey, that being
! most priced in commerce. He easily separated
the granular sugar, which is only glucose, that is,
apparently in every respect the same sort OF sugar
| as that extracted from juice Of grapes and that
formed by the action of acids upon fecuent sub
stances. In the strip which remains Mr. Sou
beran has discovered two different substances, one
which he regards Identical in every respect with
the sugar extracted from the sugar-cane, the other
| as new species of sugar, to which he gives the
name of honey-s,gar, which he found, in his expe-
rments on it with poarzed light, to turn with force
towards the left Of the surface of the polarized ray
which traversed it, notwithstanding il had been by
a careful manipulation brought to mass as trans
parent and solid as the newest barley-sugar. To
those Of your readers who have kept up with the
remarkable discoveries recently in physical optics
Ivy Blot here and Faraday in London, the fact just
stated will convey clear idea Of the national char
acter of the sugar. To those who do not it will be
vain task almost TO attempt to describe without
the aid Of cuts. We will essay explanation, but
we fear we cannot make clear one. In natural
light philosophers have discovered central rays
with lateral sides, il were, all turned in the
direction, obeying certain laws, which are called
the laws of polarization. But in this pencil of
rays, thus poarzed, these lateral sides turn in
another direction, and twist one way and another
differently in every species of sugar. and thus show
the different characters of the various qualities or
species of sugars. This is determined by instru-
ments which we cannot attempt to describe
oUININE.
Another subject brought before the academy will
interest but too many of your readers, especially in
the more southern portion of the United States,
where yearly large numbers of victims are carried
off by the malignant fevers generated under their
burning sun, or the prolific growth of the swamps
and sluggish rivers. 1t will be remembered with
what pleasure the citizens of the United States gen.
orally read report of Mr. Surgeon General Law
son, wherein he treated at length of tree of
the cinchona species, of whose bark the surgeons
of the United States army stationed in Florida had
made experiments in treating the invalids sick of
fever, by his orders, There is, indeed, no more
important article in the commerce Of the world than
quir-qunne, which, since the time it was first In
troduced by the Jesuits, now some two hundred
years ago, has been increasing in demand and in
in every civilized nation Notwithstanding its
great importance to the health of the world very
little has been known about it, and countless stories
have been spread from time TO time of the small
amount we should receive for the future of the
speedy spoliation of all the trees, and of the
ages nature and the inhabitants of the countries
had made in these health-giving forests In l843
NJ de Castelnau, charged with scientific mission
by the French Government-that Of exploring the
internal provinces of Brazil and Peru-left France
for South America, accompanied by young de-
voice named Weddell, who long had desire to ex
pore the eastern side Of the Cordileras study the
geographical distribution of the cinchona family,
to ascertain and describe their species, to gather de-
tails of their mode of cultivation, and to the
progress Of the invaluable bark from the moment il
is detached from the tree to the day is delivered
on board the ship which is to transport il to Euro
pean markets. In this duty he engaged after as
cending two years with M. de Castelman in the in
terror Of Brazil and Peru. He gave four years to
the observation and study Of this subject, and has
presented the Academy of Sciences with book,
the fruit of his labors. The Academy referred this
book to a commission, of which the world-renowned
~ a - u
reported on the bark most favoraby, and M. de
Jussieu could not refrain from pronouncing the
highest euogy upon the talents and patient research
Of the young traveller. Nj. Weddell, in his me-
moir, informs US that the Unchoran family is much
more numerous than is commonly supposed, and
the region Of country where they abound is Of
much greater extent than has been represented.
He says the region where il abounds is extent
Of country in the form Of crescent, extending from
the 18th degree Of south TO the 10th degree Of north
latitude, turning its convexty towards the west,
offering, at its thckest point, breadth extending
from a point near Loxa, which is 81 degrees OF
longitude from Paris meridian line to another point
SIS degrees Of longitude from Paris. The altitude
of this region is between 800 and 300 metres
above the The whole Of this is not one vast
forest OF trees Of the cnchonas family alone, but,
on the contrary, the cinchonas are very sparsely
scattered in the midst Of the seeds Of other trees
very much like them in appearance, and which de-
ceive even the eye Of the most practsed woodman.
Besides, they are always surrounded with a close
and almost impenetrabe wood which renders
their removal a difficult task OF many days dura.
ton They and difficult Of access. In
view Of the enormous demand which commerce
daily makes on this forest NJ. Weddell proposes
two plans by which a reasonable demand may be
supplied, and care had tn preserve the forest for
future and new demands which shall be made upon
them. The first, an evidently impracticable plan,
is the establishment Of laws having for their object
the conservation Of their valuable forests from wan
ton destruction and The vain wishes of specu-
lstors; the second is propagation Of new plantations
by cultivation. But how is IL possible to incucate
into these wild and ignorant men who roam in the
Cordieras any habits Of providence. The Indian,
says Alison, in bis history Of Europe, cuts down
the tree Of fifty years that he may enjoy us fruit
and the Indian-Spansrd in his wanton disregard Of
the future, is cousin-german to the red man who
lives on the father Of waters. All the members Of
the family cinchona have not the same intrinsic
value analytical chemistry showing the difference
in value by demonstrating the properties Of quit
nine and cincbonine relatively contained IN each Of
the several species; is well known these two,
quinine and cinchopa are the active qualities which
| give so high value to the medicinal plant. M.