The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1874-05-14

If This substance What curious veg:
ctable is the potatoi Swollen or pulled
ON, bv the enorS10G6 distcntion OF TIM
ce,Isjsr tissus - which the starch IS con-
taiscd, IL seens .apost ugly6nlits4e-
tormity. Itis iitne'iess than = msssSef
starch when the watery part has been
eyaporated. R gmw
rive scpcrate The starch from saegle'
ten in cora, an3 boil it lew mtp utes
with weak suiphuric acid, il undsrsoss
, remarkable change, aud becomes q
t!uid and Iimpid rs water; and II we
! withdraw the acid, and cvapOrate to dry
ness, we have new body, kind OF gum
called dextrin. But ii We do not inter
rupt the boiling when it becomes thin
/ and clear, bat continue 1t Tor sevesai
| hours. and them withdraw the acid by
chemical means, we have remaining 2
| LIQUID, very sweet to the taste, when
will, if allowed to separate, solify TO a
mass of grape sugar. This is the moth
cd of changing corn into strip ana sa-
car. What is most extraordinary IN
This process is the fact that the acid un-
dcrroes no diminutien or change. Inc
play of chemical affinities lies between
The am,dine and the clements Of water,
grape sugar continuing moro oxygen aud
hydrogen, compared with the quantity
! Of carbon, than the starch. Nothing
| can be morc striking than thcss changes.
From the kernel of corn We OBTAIN
starch. this We change easily into gum,
and. by the aid Of ose Of the most pow
erial and destructive acids, transform II
into strip and sugar.
| We are now to consider another moss
extraordinary change which corn Is cap
able of undergoing, that OF being trans
formed into whiskey IN alcohol. II we
take the sweet liquid obtained by the III
. fusion Of matted corn, and subject it to
! a temperature Of g. or 20 degrees Fab,
! i, soon becomes tur6id or muddy; bab-
b!cs of gas are seen 20 rise from all
parts of the liquid, the temperature r's-
CO, and there are signs OF chemical ac-
ton going on in il. After while, 1t
slackcns and soon stops altogether.
+, Examination shows that it has now
completely lost it's sweet taste, a-d g:
anircs another quite distinct. An iniox-
icating liquid is found, and if we place
i, in st,ll, we Obtain Il coiorless, infiam-
mable liquid, eassIy Recognized 8 alco-
hol. BIZ . peculiar Sarangemen.:ofs the
condenscd appsrntps of Tie stu, q ror
ton Of the grain. oils amt . lafge
amount Of water are allowed 10 go'over
with the alcohol, and this constitutes
, -~Li>key.
This is an example of the change call
ed vinous fermentation. The isfinencc
| of a fsrmc,.t or decomposH. aEpGzcd
body hpon srgaris strange and quiie in
comprehensive. Through its agency,
we may cause the highly organized kerr
mel. of corn to take another step down,
ward towards Il dead inorganic condi-
ton. We can transform the alcohol
over into acetic acid or vinegar, or the
sugar may be formed into one of the
most curious organic acids, the Tactic.
As in tn csc processes, we follow tho kcr-
mel of corn through the various changes,
first into gum, then into sugar, then al
cohol, then vinegar, and ultimately into
carbonic acid and water, We obtain an
imperfect idea of the marvcis of vital
chemistry. The chemistry Of kernel
of corn is comprehensive topic, and to
be considered even in its outlines would
supply material enough for q volume.
The elm has been to group Together a
few of the most interesting points, and
thus wakoa desire for a more complete
and satisfactory investigation.-Scienfy
ic american.