Smyrna times., 1876-12-27
mise eIIUn e OWS
Something About Sugar.

To the delight as may safely be assumed,
of every child to whose ears the word shall
come, and to the equal surprise, doubtless,
of many a fond and cautious parent, the
eating of sugar, is now considered, by high
medical authority, as not only not injurious
but positively beneficial. One of the ablest
and best known English psychologists, DR..
Bridges Adams, investigated this subject
some time ago in a manner that left him in
no doubt as to the value of sugar in its rela-
ton to food. Knowing, by experience, the
difference in nutritious effect produced by
the flesh of tired cattle on march, and
those slain in a condition arising from
abundant food and healthy eXercise-that,
in the former case, any amount might be
eaten without the satisfaction of hunger,
while in the latter smaller amount realized
that purpose-his Investigations led to the
discovery that certian other food, of diff
ferent quality, such as grape sugar and
fruits. would help the tired meat to assimi-
late, and thus remove hunger. lie asserts,
therefore, that puddings and fruit tarts ale
not to be regarded as simple batteries of
the appetite or palate, but as really diges-
tive agents, provided that they are not
themselves made of indigestible materials
The fondness of artisans for confectionery,
and the inclination of patients just dis
charged from hospital to ask for sweet
E., ,l.fo ;oI
pies of a correct instinct, and in the case Of
children in whom the requirements of
growth call for rapid and efficient trans
formation of food into tissue there is no
doubt that natures demand for sweets is
very impsrious, and parents should, there
fore, understand that the jam-pot increases
the amount of nutrition extracted from
beef and mutton.
This view of the nature and effects of
sugar was entertained by the late Professor
Liebig, who was accustomed to say that,
instead of sugar being, as held by some,
the most dangerous constituent in pastry,
it is in reality the least so; that is, if not
added in too great quantity to cakes and
tarts, sugar is transformed into Tactic acid,
and assists the stomach in digesting. Both
BY sugar and honey, indeed, Liebig asserts,
is the quantity of the digestive juices in
creased and the digestion promoted; it also,
while being digested, enriches the gastric
juice with substance which assists in dis
solving the aliments-for the sugar, on
coming in contact with thesaliva, has been
partly transformed into Tactic acid, which
acts upon the alimentary principles in the
same manner as does the hydro.choloric
acid of the gastric juice.
In regard to the effect of sugar on the
teeth, the correctness of the popular belief
is met and refuted by the fact that the teeth
ofthe West India Negroes community re-
markable for the amount ofsugar consumed
among them-are of bright white. The
reasoning of medical science is, that phos
phate of lime being the chief constituent of
the bones and teeth, but not before adulter-
age, an increase of the phosphate of lime is
the essential characteristic of the develop
ment of the bones oc children, and as Tactic
acid dissolVes the phosphate of lime of the
food sugar indirectly supports this solution,
and facilitates the conveyance of lime
IN the teeth.
In frequent cases white sugar has been
employed as efficaciously in remedying
drunkenness as ammonia. No rationale of
avery satisfactory character has as yet been
adduced for the action of so simple a sub
stance as sugar under these circumstances,
except that it serves to bring on a different
fermentation from the existening one in
'ne stomach, and to neutralize, by the for
nation of new compounds, the action of
liquors. Per contra French chemist has
iOund by experiment that, under certain
conditions, electricity produces the same
sneet on sugar Instrumentation does-trans.
'O'ning 1t into alcohol; that is, it was as
ser'ained that, by passing an electric cur
sn' through very sugary white wine, the
me iosss all its sugar and becomes much
'0'e alcoholic. 1t appears, however, that
1s enect OF the action Of light on absolute
-0hoi Is, under some circumstances, to
Ahs'osm portion of the alcohol back into