14 SOLUBILITY dF EART*HS BTf kEANS OF SUGAR. 



Chemical pro- The salutioii of magnesia, like those of lime and slron- 



pcrtie*. tites, was of a j)ure white wine colour, and had no sensible 



variation in smell or taste from the common solution of su-*> 



gar ; farther than that the sweet seemed much improved, 



and was softer and more agreeable on the palate, as if it 



were entirely freed from the earthy taste, which unrefined 



sugar frequently has. On its remaining at rest for some 



months in a bottle well corked, the magnesia appears to be 



entirely separated. 



Alumine but Very little alumine is dissolved by a solution of sugar, 



little soluble when fresh precipitated earth is presented to it either in thfe 

 in sugar. , . 



cold or hot state. Neither does it seem capable of holding 



it in solution, when sulphate of alumine is decomposed by 



sacchariie of lime in the way of double decomposition : both 



the lime and alumine are precipitated together. But when 



fresh precipitated earth of alum is boiled for some time in 



the saccharine solution, it seems capable of attracting the 



colouring matter of tlie sugar, and the liquid, when the earth 



Perhaps it has precipitated, is in a purer state than before. Perhaps 



might be use- ^.-j-j^ certain modifications this au-eut might be of service in 

 Jul la refining . o o 



it. the refining of sugar. 



Alkaline car- The union of sugar with the alkalis has been long known ; 

 ra^teThe earTli ^"^ *^^^® ^^ rendered more strikingly evident, hf carbonated 

 from sugar. potash or soda (for instance) decomposing the solutions of 



lime and strontites in sugar by double affinity. 

 Weak sugai^ In making solutions of unrefined sugar for culinary pur- 

 contain lime, p^ggg^ .^ gj-^y coloured substance is found frequently preci- 

 pitated. It is probable, that this proceeds from a super- 

 abundance of lime, which has been used in clarifying the 

 juice of the sugar cane at the plantations abroad. Sugar 

 with this imperfection is known among the refiners of this 

 article by the name of weak. And it is justly termed so, 

 the precipitated matter being nothing but lime which has 

 attracted cal-bonic acid from the sugar, (of which there is a 

 Lime separates great probability) or from the air of the atmosphere. A 

 from sugar ia bottle in which I had kept a solution of lime in sugar for at 

 state of a car- ^^^^t four years closely corked, was entirely encrusted with 

 bonate. a yellowish coloured matter, which on examination was 



found tp be entirely carbonate of lime. 



III. 



