1^4 Chemical Notices^ 



fefpefting a matter fimilar to manna, which he has found in 

 preparing fugar from beets : 



*^ If fugar/' fays he, ^* be extrafted from dry beet-roots, 

 iiccording to my method *, and if more water be poured over 

 the reliduum, after (landing a confiderable time it will be- 

 come very flimy. If the flimy waier, which has no longer 

 the lead fweetnefs, be decanted from the remaining matter 

 of the beets, and be evaporated in a glafs 6r porcelain difh to 

 the thickncfs of fyrup, at a flow oven heat, it appears on 

 cooling, or when it has flood fome time in the open air, in 

 the form of flellated cryftals, which have a fweetifli-four and 

 fomewhat naufeous tafte. If reftified fpirit of wine be boiled 

 over thefe cryftals in a proper veflel, they in a great meafure 

 dilfolve in it; but, in cooling, again feparate themfelves 

 from the folution in white fliar[)-pointed cryflals : a portion 

 of uncryftallifed flimy matter remains at the fame time undif- 

 folved. The cryftallifed part, however, is far from being 

 iTugar; though when treated with nitrous acid it furniflies 

 Very pure oxalic acid, and, lik^ fugar, is foluble in alcohol ; 

 Irut in regard to tafte it has a great fimilarity to manna. It 

 differs from fugar, in particular, by the following circum- 

 Hancfes :— That concentrated fulphuric acid perfe6lly colour- 

 lefs is not rendered black by it : that by combuftion it leaves 

 ?i refiduum of vegetable alkali, and is decompofed neither by 

 the fpiritous nor acid fermentation, nor by flow putrefac- 

 tion. I am of opinion, therefore, that thefe cryftals are to 

 \)e confidered as a peculiar component part of beets, not yet 

 known, which exifts in them in confiderable quantity; and 

 1 think myfelf authorifed to aflert, that perfe6lly pure fugar 

 cannot be obtained from beets when the roots are cut and 

 the juice exprefled, or when they are boiled with water, and 

 the juice afterwards infpiffated by boiling, becaufe fome of 

 this component part will always be mixed with it. To be 

 convinced of the prefence of this fubftance the following me- 

 thod may be employed with moft advantage : — When the 

 ■beets are dried, and the fugar has been extradcd, more water 



''■ Profeflbr Gottling's method confifts chiefly in cxtratting the iiigar 

 ,frpm tlie dry beet;; by infuhng them in cold water. 



muft 



