Waco evening news. (Waco, Tex.) 1888-1889, 1888-12-03
A CURIOUS PRODUCT.
INTERESTING FACTS CONCERNING
SACcHARlN AND ITS USES.

The New Sweet Manufactured from Coai
Tar-Used Now In Cake. Candy and
Champagne What Nh American Chem
list Snys-Nfedlical Uses.
The curious product from coal tar
known as saccharin was introduced hy
French chemist two years ago, since
when factory for its production has
been established in Westerhausen, near
the old historic town of Magdeburg, in
Prussia. Saccharin has become SO for
midable a rival Of cane and beet root
sugar for many manufacturing purposes,
that tho producers of these look upon the
new material with great disfavor. Late
French papers state that the French
sugar manufacturers have begun cam
paign against it, and the Society of Ag-
riculturists have petitioned the govern
ment to forbid its manufacture, as being
prejudicial to the beet root sugar trade,
although experiments have shown that
1t is not noxious.
1t has been found that in its pure state
it is difficult of solution, but this defect
is corrected by the addition of an aka
line bicarbonate that is added by small
portions to the saccharin mixed in the
water. No heat is employed, as under
the influence of heat soda will transform
saccharin into salicylic acid. Neither
flies. bees nor other insects will touch
saccharin in any form, but physicians
are already prescribing it for patients
afflicted with diseases which will not
admit of their taking sugar. A gentle.
man to whom sugar was forbidden tried
saccharin, using it alone to sweeten
lemon juice and stewed cranberrics. He
found that it would not mix, and eX-
perimented with various things to rori-
edy it, but was unsuccessful until lie
thought of glycerine; ono dram of sac
charm with one pound of giycerine,
heated to solution, makes mixture
closely resembling honey. and one that
readily dissolves in water. inilk. tea,
coffee, wines and liquors.
ITS SWEETENING POWER.
Saccharin is used now in cake, candy
and champagne. Its sweetening power
is 300 times greater than that of sugar,
and it has neither tho latter's nutritive
nor injurious properties. 1t docs not
Torment, and is in no way altered by the
action Of yeast and other ferments. In
addition to this, it has also antiseptic
properties which make it useful in pre-
serving articles of food. 1t is condi-
ment, or spice, and should never DO
tasted in Its pure state.
A distinguished American chemist,
when asked for some information re-
specting the new material, said: Sac
charm is really in many ways re-
markable product. 1t is the sweetest
c,rI ,cto trO - "a T.. ~
600 parts of water will give the water q
perceptibly sweet taste equal to one part
of cane sugar in $50 parts of water, and
solution of one in 10000 is intensely
sweet In appearance it is white
crystalline powder, soluble in ESQ parts
of water at 90 degs. centigradc, and is
easily soluble in alcohol and ether. Its
scientific name Ia bcn:oyl sulphonic
amide.
Cautiously enough. saccharin is in no
way related to the class Of sugars (carb-
hydrates). either chemically or pl,ysio-
logically. 1t is not only unfcrmcntable,
but it possesses en- anti-zymotic action;
that is, it rctards the ammoniacal fer
mentatiOns in certain Gccrctions. It Is
indigcstible, inert and non-poisonous.
when taken into the stomach, and passes
out unchanged. These properties give it
an important place in dictetics. phar-
macy and therapeutics When mixed
with tho food of diabctic or obese
patients it enables them to indulge in
swcetcncd dishes which ordinarily must
be denied them on account of the injuri-
GUS effects of sugar under such condi-
tons.
A HARMLESS Sv'EETEHINa.
"it IL q harmless and effective swccten-
inr aren't for LITTER r,p1icinae anI chcn,i.
cal combinations Of it with several clka-
loids, such as quiniue, strychninc and
morphine. have been employed with
marked SUCCESS. 1t is also Given with
other remedial aTcnts, or in pure solu-
ton as ON anti-fcrmcntativc medicine
in various gastric and intestinal dis
orders.
Besides these medical uses, saccharin
is largely employed il France as sub
stitute for sugar in confectionery and
liquors. One part of 1t to 1000 or {, 900
parts OF glucose (grapc sugar) makes an
equivalent to cane sugar for confec-
TONERS use, and one part of saccharin to
5000 parts Of liquid il considered suff-
cicnt for making sweet liqueurs. Al
together there is GOOD reason for tho
concern felt by sugar producers on &c
count of substance, u teaspoonful OF
which will convert barrel of water
into good Syrup and which docs not de-
cay, mold or ferment, and has no iniuri-
GUS effect upon the human system.
"Ihe chief difficulty in tho way of its
use Is the high cost Of productions; but
improved processes will doubtless be de-
vised which will bring its market value
to much lower figure than it now COM
mandS. PRANK Leslie's.