The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-05-23
ABOUT SYRUPS,

The agricultural journals some months
ago, and after them the newspapers generally,
| put afloat u story abou, the cheap syrups
/ known as 'silver drips," golden drips," &c,
to the effect that they were made OF corn
starch, old rags, shoe leather, &c, by pro
cess in which sulphuric acid cut the chief
figure, and as large proportion of the acid
remained in the syrups, they were no better
than deadly pois0ns. Many people, who had
eaten the syrups for years before wholly un.
suspicious of their deadly nature at once
abandoned their use, fully satisfied that what
ever rheumatic twinges, corns boils, agues,
sore throats, or other ailments had occurred
IN their families during the preceding half
dozen years, were wholly referablc to the de-
leerious syrups. There is very good reason
to believe, however, that the general panic on
the subject has very little solid sense or truth
to back it up. The syrups, doubtless, are
made OF glucose, or grape sugar, which in
Its pure state can be extracted from rags.
wood, and many other ligneous substances,
and that in the process of extraction sulphur.
ic acid cuts an important figure; but that not
4 particle of the acid can remain after the
completion of the process nor any of the dirt
of the rags or old boots, is equally evident.
The whole question of the poisonous quality
of the grape sugar syrups was submitted, %
few weeks ago, to Professor IIurd, Chemist Of
Knox College, who, after 4 patient investiga-
ton, gives a clear and concise answer, which
is worthy of general attention.
Without giving his letter in full, it is suffi.
Client to say, that according TO his statement.
cellulose III any form, as woody fiber linen,
cotton, Eastwood, &c, may, by boiling with
,, diluted sulphuric acid, becopverted into GU
cose or grape sugar. Grape sugar generally
however, in large quantities, is made from
starch, and is used in the manufacture of can.
dies, syrups, &c, as well rs in the aduitera.
ton Of honey, which itself IS little else than
grape sugar. The difference between cane
and grape sugar is, that the latter possess but
half the sweetening quality of the former.
while in its manufacture 1t costs less than half
as much But both are equally nutritious
and equally wholesome. In the manufacture
of grape sugar, the starch is boiled, as before
intimated, with dilution of sulphuric acid
in iron kettles. The acid attacks the iron and
forms more or less sulphate Of iron, which is
partly dissolved and diffused through the
sugar or syrup After the conversion of the
starch into glucose or sugar all the sulphuric
acid is removed by means of calcium of soda,
but the iron salt remains Now this iron salt
or suphate Of iron, put into anything that
contains tannin, or fannie acrld, will turn is
black. In this way all our writing inks are
made, 10y mixing sulphate of iron and tannin
with diluted vinegar or water. Both tea and
coffee contain more or less tannin. Hence
putting grape sugar or syrup made Of grape
sugar into tea or coffee will turn it black
Happily iron is not poisonous and all the
salt that is contained in the syrup certainly
can do no harm, though most people doubt.
less would prefer TO eat syrup that was free
! from IT,