New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-09-19
New ORLEANS, September IL, 1871.

NEW ORLEANS, september ii, 1871.
| Dr. C. B. White, President Board of Health:
SIR-The following is the result of an
| analysis OF three samples of golden syrup
sent to the Board of Health for examin-
alton, being supposed to contain substances
injurious to health:
The sample marked No. was of bright,
clear color, and pleasant to the taste, and
was found to consist of mixture of cane
syrup and a syrup made from starch, in the
proportion of two parts Of cane syrup to
three parts of starch syrup
This sample contained only trace of sui
phate Of iron, less than one grain to the
gallon, and five grains OF free sulphuric acid
to the gallon.
Sample No. 2 consisted Of mixture of
one part of cane syrup to six parts Of starch
syrup. This sample had q clear, reddish
brown color, and slightly burnt taste and
smell.
1t contained eighteen grains of sulphate
Of iron and twenty one grains of free sui
phuric acid to the gallon.
Sample No. 3 consisted of a mixture OF
one part Of cane syrup to three parts Of
starch syrup, and contained in a gallon
eleven grains sulphate Of iron and
twenty-seven grains free sulphuric acid.
There were no metallic substances or
mineral acids contained in the above sam
pies, excepting sulphate of iron and sui
phur;c acid.
These syrups are largely and cheaply
made in New York by boiling corn or
potato starch in water containing from
two to four per cent OF sulphuric acid,
which in few hours transforms the starch
into about an equal of grape sugar.
The sulphuric acid is then removed by
neutralizing the liquid with chalk. which
throws down in an insoluble form the sui
phuric acid as sulphate Of lime. The acid
present in the syrup is what has not been
removed by this process.
The sulphate Of iron is derived from a
part of the iron of the vessels in which the
syrup is boiled, being dissolved by the free
acid present in the syrup.
The sulphate of iron and sulphurc acid
in the above are in such small quantities as
to make it impossible for them to have any
injurious effect on the system. when used
for food.
The ordinary amount Of syrup which
might be used at a meal-ab0ut two ounces
third of a grain of sulphate of iron, and
about the same quantity Of sulphuric acid:
In two ounces of No. syrup there would
be about One-fifth of grain of sulphate OF
iron, and little more than one-third of
grain of sulphuric acid.
The usual medicinal dose Of snlphate of
iron is from one to two grains. and Of arc
lnaClc SuIpQurlc Aclu ten 10 thirty uTops'
which contains three and half to ten
grains of pure sulphuric acid Thus the
amount which could be taken in these
syrups at meal would be about One-tenth
of the usual dose Of sulphate Of iron and
one -thirtieth Of the usual dose of sulphuric
acid.
A larger amount of free acid might pos
sibly injure the teeth.
The starch syrup, when pure, so far from
being injurious, is really more nutritious and
digestible. ALI the potatoes, arrowroOt,
tapioca, rice, flour, ETC., which is eaten con-
tain from fifty-six to eighty five per cent of
starch, which is transformed in the stomach
and intestinal canal into grape or starch
sugar before it can be absorbed into the
blood and aid in nourishing the body. The
grape sugar is thus, in fact, equivalent to
cane sugar partly digested.
In the above analysis the grape sugar was
estimated by means of Tehling's volumetric
solution of tartrate of copper. and the iron
by volumetric solution of permauganate
Of pOtassa.
Very respectfully,
ALFRED II. PERRY. NJ. D.,
Sanitary Inspector.