Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1872-03-20

serve that the little glObule, or plsuts, no
more than one-hundredih Of millimeter
in size, is capable Of reproducing itself al
most indefinitely. The single atom in the
field Of the microscope in the course Of
couple Of hours begins to swell. and 10 six
hours more a new glObule has proceeded
from its side, perfect in every respect like
the first from this another birth takes
place, and this budding and developing
process goes Ou so long as the albumiuOus
matter lasts and in larger MAJ ses Of fer
mentable matter millions and billions Of
the plants are produced every day. The
ferment globules are composed of a solid
envelope inclosiDg liquid ; or they may
be regarded as cellules, holding liquid
aud having their walls covered with a
mucilaginous substance. How they act,
in the work of breaking up organic CON-
pounds like sugar, is not precisely under
stood. 1t is difficult TO closely investigate
the changes under the microscope. as the
evolution of bubbles of earbouic acid in
the saccharine solution is so copious that
observation is IN great measure cut off,
This strange iermont is rot only found
in sugar solutions. but is always present
when animal matters spontaneously de-
compose. What is called putrefaction or
decay, in flesh, gelatine, eggs, cheese,
T blood ETC., is indeed fermentation, as the
sugar in these substances is transformed
into alcohol and carbonic acid. Alcohol
is always produced from the carcass of a
dead cat, dog, or horse when left to pro-
duct consequent upon the changes which
result from death, and we may say that
its habitual use as beverage tends to
disorganizcd the vital functions, and to
rapidly place the human body in a condi.
ton from which portion of itself will be
resolved into the agent which caused its
destruction.
1t has been intimaled in this discussion
that apples from which cider is produced
and from which vinegar results by the
, process Of fermentation, contain the germ,
of fermeLt, and the inquiry may arise
: Why do they not act upon the sugar con
, tained in the juices and destroy the fruit
They do, whenever from any cause abra
, sions or holes occur in the skin. An ap
, pie, so long as the skin is sound, is pro
tected from atmospheric oxygen, and tho
ferment cannot act without the contact O.
} this element, and so the apple is preserv
| ed If a worm bores hole through the
skin, or an insect ruptures it in any way
oxygen is admitted to the juices, the fer
, ment starts into liie, and the apple rots
A rotten apple is sour because 1t contains
true vinegar. The same process has gone
! on in the apple that goes on in cider wher
vinegcr is formed from it. First, alcoho
was produced in the fruit, and from thi
5 vinegar, and following the descending
scale the vinegar, if collected and subject
r ed to certain processes, might be changed
into pyroacetic spirit or acetoue.
: In using the term acetous fermentation
, it must be understood that we use for tn,
: sake Of convenience, and because it i
commonly used in reference to vinega
5 making. The acelous change is brough
/ about by agencies which are unlike thos
3 producing the vinous, and we doubt if tn
term fermentation is proper one to ap
= ply to it. A great variety of opinions pre-
: walls among chemists regarding this action
but we do not design to be betrayed int
! any extended discussion upon the subject
6 1t is enough to sry that IN order that al
coho may be changed into vinegar, ac
cess of air is necessary and that the al
! must be brought in direct contact wit
the liquid Videgar making is an oxidi7
: ing process, and hence it is important tina
: the oxygen of the air should be brough
: in contact with saccharine liquids. whic
] are distributed over the greatest exter
] Of surface that vinegar is formed. A bal
$ rel of cider exposed to the air out-of-door
D in summer is converted into vinegar yer
: slowly, because the air can only act upo
Q the surface, and if there was no motion i
: the liquid, it would not change in tn
e course of a century. Heat causes copvet
Q tive currents, which tend to displace th
i. liquid, and bring new portions to the su
e face constantly. aza a.t.5 6.l. s
III A barrel OF cider, which would requil
b six months to cbange under ordinary 90,
: ditions, can be accifed in week, by a
Z lowing the liquid TO trickle slowly over.t
i through a mass of clean shavings so, as I
n expose it to great extent of surface.
v this country preference is given to eide
vinegar made by the slow process,
. adopted by our farmers, but very little
b this is found in the market in cities. I'll