Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1850-11-09

ing myself Of the coagulation which heat
produces in the substances which create fer
mentation by eliminating them, as is done in
defecations
In pursuance Of this applied myself to
discover body greedy Of oxygen. without
action on sugar, not injurious to man, of
low price, and easily produced everywhere
or transported. Three of these bodies par
,icularly fixed my attention, the bi-oxide Of
azote, sulphurous acid, and aldehyde. This
remarkable class of compounds greedy Of
oxygen, while they absorb third, with ease
and energy to produce acids generally SEEM
ed to me eminently suitable to fulfil one OF
the conditions of the question, their presence
forb,dding the Intervention of the air, pre-
vents the production Of fermentation. More
skilful hands than mine will some day dis
cover how to give practical form to bi-oxide
Of azote: for | cannot believe that sub
stance which destroys instantaneOusly oxy-
gen, as fast as it presents itself, and which
forms with it an acid which precipitates fer
menting substances, and matters which give
rise to them, is not destined to perform a
prominent part in the extraction of sugar
Dissolved in sulphate of iron, it will preserve
the Juice from all alteration until after its de-
fection by time; this finished, the juice re-
tans scarcely anything Of the reactive agents
employed. Aldehyde, and the organic sub
stances which resemble it ARE too expensive; |;
have not therefore paid attention to them
While | was experimenting with the man
agement of the processes, very summary
notice of which have just sketched, l found
my mind constantly attracted to sulphurous
acid; its efficacy as preventive Of all fer
mentation, is so well established its price is
so low, its production so easy, and the ma
terials which produce it so widely diffuscd!
1t is true that sui phurous acid which sue
ceeded so well in the hands of Proust when
he undertook to prevent the fermentation of
grape sugar, has always presented insur-
mountable obstacles to its use in panufac-
turies of beet sugar. am fully aware that
The most skiful men have attempted its use,
and have failed, and nothing available has
resulted from their labors. If sulphurous
acid can be used to profit in the must OF
grapes; if it prevents its fermentation. while
it completely respects the sugar in it, it is
because it possesses the property both of pre-
venting the production of fermentation, and
of leaving intact the grape sugar, either by
itself or where it has been converted into
suIphuric acid by the action Of the air.
Everybody knows on the contrary that
cane sugar is metamorphoseG into grape
sugar by acids, and especially by sulphuric
acids Thus while "muiisme," by means ol
sulphuric acid, is applied with certainty tu
the must of grapes, so it is inaPPlcable to
the sap or juice of the beet Rejecting on
this difficulty, asked myself if sulphurous
acid, employed in presence Of a powerful
base, such as potash, soda or lime, would
not be protected from this inconvenience
In reality the base scizing on the sulphuric
acid as fast as it was produced, the cane
sugar, exempt from its action would remain
intact From this was led to make numer.
Gus experiments, easily repeated, but no,
worth reporting here in their details, ant
which now recapitulate in a few words.
| A solution Of ulbhurous acid, added to a
solution of sugar Of cane liquor, and of bee1
sugar, prevented fermentation, but slowly
destroyed the sugar when left cold exposed
to the action of the atmosphere, but destroy.
ed it rapidly, when the liquor was heated ir
! contact with the air.
The neutral sulphtes of potash, soda ant
lime, prevent fermentation, with different
conditions, if the liquors are neutral, bu
respect the sugar both when they are colo
and hot. | could therefore use neither o
these products.
The acid sulphites, and more especially
the bi-sulphite of lime, on the contrary have
afforded me very interesting properties
The excess Of sulphurous acid which forms
part of it, prevents any fermentation thu
base which contains them, neutralizes sui
phurous acid as fast as it is generated. /
remains to be seen if Of themselves, or b,
their excess of sulphurons acid, they have o
not, the power Of converting cane suga
strictly, so called, into grape sugar.
/ heated for several hours, small quanti
ties of sugar candy dissolved in water, will
large quantities Of bi-suIphite of lime. Th'
sugar was changed, it became uncrystallize'
and deliquescent. The syrup which it form
+ ed frequently presented character well un
derstood by sugar makers: when submitted
to the action of heat to evaporate 1t, it re
mained inrnoveable. Then there were quan
titles to be ascertaiied, and methods OF ap
plication to follow; but as it requires grea
deal of sulphi,e of lime to destroy lcrmenta
ton, felt bound not to abandon :nis agen
without farther investigation,
Sugar candy dissolved in cold water charg
ed with bi-sulphite Of lime, even in great ex
cess crystalIized entirely and without altera
ton, by spontaneous evaporation, at a 10y
, temperature. Cold processes would there
fore be practicable in all cases, and farthe
, on it will be seen that this assertion is we
sustained.
t To perfectly white sugar candy, dissolve
: in ten times its weight Of water, was adde
one half its weight of bi-sulphite of lime, q
ten degrees of Baume and boiled for abot
an hour The turbid liquor was filtered
separate the neutral suIphite which it ha
: deposited, and then poured on plate ,wher
; it crysialized entirely without the least trac
of molasses, but leaving slight PreciPita at
, of tartrate of copper. dissolved in potash.
D Straw-colored sugar candy treated IN tn
same way gave the same result; only it CAV