Fig. 431.—Turning the loaves.
Sugar refining is conducted as follows. The raw (brown) sugar is mixed into a paste with water, and allowed to drain. The sugar thus becomes white. It is then dissolved in water, with animal charcoal and bullocks’ blood. The liquid is boiled, and put into a dark cistern with holes at the bottom, and cotton fibres being fastened in the holes, are hung into another dark cistern, into which the liquid runs pure and white. It is then pumped into a copper vessel,—vacuum pan,—and condensed to the proper consistence. Subsequently it is poured into conical moulds, and pure syrup poured upon the crystal shapes. The caramel is then removed through a hole at the end. The moulds or loaves are then dried, and if not even or elegant they are turned in a lathe. Finally they are packed up as “loaf sugar.” Sugar undergoes no decomposition, and is the cause of non-decomposition in other substances. For this reason it is employed in “preserving” fruit, etc. Sugar is obtained from beet by crushing and rasping the roots, as the cane is treated.
Spirit of Wine, or Alcohol, is not a natural product. It is found by the decomposition of grape-sugar by fermentation. There is a series of alcohols which exhibit a regular gradation, founded, so to speak, upon one, two, or three molecules of water. They are called respectively alcohols, glycols, and glycerins. Thus we have—
- Alcohols.
- Methylic alcohol.
- Ethylic “
- Prophylic “
- Amylic “
- Glycols.
- Enthelein glycol.
- Prophylene “
- Butylene “
- Amylene “
- Glycerins.
- (Ordinary Glycerine is the only one known.)
The cetyl and melissylic alcohols are contained in spermaceti and bees-wax respectively. The usual alcohol is the Vinic, a transparent, colourless liquid, which is the spirituous principle of wine, spirits, and beer, and when sugar is fermented the alcohol and carbonic acid remain.
Spirits of wine has a very powerful affinity for water, and thus the use of stimulants in great quantity is to be deprecated, for alcohol absorbs the water from the mucous membranes of the stomach and the mouth, making them dry and hard. The state of “intoxication,” unfortunately so familiar, is the effect produced by alcohol upon the nerves. We append a list of the beverages which are most in use, and the percentage of alcohol in each according to Professor Hart:—
| Port | 15 | per cent. |
| Madeira | 14·5 | ” |
| Sherry | 14 | ” |
| Claret | 8 | ” |
| Ale | 6 | ” |
| Porter | 5 | ” |
Fig. 432.—Hydrometer.