The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-11-18
Something About Sugar.

Doubtless OF many fond and caution:
parent, the eating Of sugar is now consid
cred, by high medical authority, as moi
only not injurious but positively beneficial
One Of the ablest and best known Englisf
psychologists, DIR. Bridges Adams, investi
gated this subject some time ago in a man
ner that left him in no doubt as to the
value of sugar in its relation to food
Knowing, by experience, the difference il
nutritious effect produced by the flesh Of
tired cattle on march, and those slain in
condition arising from abundant foot
and healthy exercise-that, in the former
case, any amount might be eaten without
the satisfaction Of hunger, while in tht
latter a smaller amount realized that pur
pose-his investigations led to the discov
cry that certain other food, of different
quality, such as grape sugar and fruit
would help the tired meat to assimilate
and thus remove hunger. He asserts
therefore, that puddings and fruit tarts arc
not to be regarded as simple batteries o
the appetite or palate, but as really diges
tive agents, provided that they are mo-
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
rather than for substantial food, are exam
amples of correct instinct and in the
case Of children in whom the requirement.
Of growth call for a rapid and efficient
transformation Of food into tissue there il
no doubt that natures demand for sweet:
is very imperious, and parents should
therefore, understand that the jam-pot in
creases 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 thought by some
the most dangerous constituent in pastry,
it is in reality the least so; that is if NOT
added in too great a quantity TO cakes and
tarts, sugar is transformed into Tactic acid
and assists the stomach in digesting. Both
by sugar and honey, indeed, Liebig as
serts, is the quantity of the digestive juice,
increased and the digestion promoted; il
also, while being digested, enriches the
gastric juice with substance which assists
in dissolving the aliments-for the sugar
on coming in contact with the saliva, has
been partly transformed into Tactic acid
which acts upon the alimentary principles
in the same manner as does the hydro,
cbe5 5ric acid Of the gastric juice.
In regard to the effect of sugar on the
teeth, the correctness of the popular be,
lief is met and refuted by the fact that the
teeth of the West India Negroes COM
munity remarkable for the amount of su-
gar consumed among them-are of q
bright white. The reasoning of medical
science is, that phosphate of lime being
the chief constituent of the bones and
teeth, but not before adulterage, an in.
crease of the phosphate of lime is the es.
sential Characteristic of the development
of the bones Of children, and as Tactic acid
dissolves thephosphate 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 eificaciously in remedying
drunkenness as ammonia. No rationale
of very satisfactory character has as vel
been adduced for the action of so simple d
substance as sugar under these circum-
stances, except that it serves to bring on
q different fermentation from the existing
one in the stomach, and to neutralize, BY
the formation of new compounds, the ac-
tion of the liquors. Per contra French
chemist has found by experiment that,
under certain conditions, electricity pro-
duces the same effect on sugar as fermen-
tation notwithstanding it into alcohol !;
that is, it was ascertained that, by passing
an electrict current through very sugary
white wine, the wine loses all its sugar and
becomes much more alcoholic. 1t ap.
pears, however, that the effect Of the ac.
tion of light on absolute alcohol is,S. .er
some circumstances, to transform a por-
ton Of the alcohol back into sugar; the
alcohol becoming very sugary, and losing
several degrees of strength.
The antiseptic property of sugar is now
well known; fruits, flesh, etc., may be in
definitely preserved in syrup of sugar,
as they also can in honey or glycerine. A
curious fact has long been observed, name-
ly, that the life of animals which breathe
in water is incompatible with the presence
therein of even an uncomfortable quantity
of sugar. One of the explanations Of this
phenomenon is that of the diffusive ten
dency of these bodies, which prevents the
life and propagation of animalcule, or
foment cells, as these organisms swell and
even burst in syrupy solutions; the high
density Of liquid is, accordingly, of chief
importance in determining its antiseptic
properties. In some parts of Europe one
of the methods pursued in the preservation
of fish consists in removing the viscera and
sprinkling sugar over the interior, keeping
the fish in horizontal position, SO that
the sugar may penetrate as much as pos
siblc. 1t is said that fish prepared in this
way can be kept completely fresh for
long time, the SAVIOR being as perfect as if
recently caught from the water; and sal.
mon, in especial, treated in this manner
before being sailed and smoked table,
spoonfulof sugar to five pound fish
possess much more agreeable taste.