1835.] On Malt. 441 



Article VI. 



On Malt. By Robert D. Thomson, M. D. 



At a time when so much excitement exists in regard to the 

 subject of Malt, it will not, perhaps, be considered a super- 

 fluous undertaking if I attempt to lay before my readers 

 an outline of the process to which grain is subjected before 

 it acquires this designation. 



A knowledge of the peculiarities of this interesting pro- 

 cess is important in a double point of view, because it affords 

 a remarkably beautiful specimen of the chemistry of nature, 

 and because its product forms a staple commodity of British 

 manufacture, no less than forty millions of bushels of malt 

 being annually consumed in the United Kingdom, which, 

 at 60s. per quarter, exceeds in value the large sum of 

 £ 24,000,000, and contributes a revenue to Government at 

 2s. Id. per bushel of more than £5,000,000 per annum. 



It would throw no light upon the chemical nature of 

 malting if we were to endeavour to investigate the history 

 of its discovery, because the changes which grain under- 

 goes during the stages of the process, are not yet fully de- 

 veloped ; and we are, therefore, led to infer that the intro- 

 duction of this preparatory step to fermentation was the 

 consequence of some accidental observation. 



It is sufficiently well known indeed that the method of 

 inducing the vinous fermentation was understood at a very 

 early period. Thus the Chinese distil samshoo, an ardent 

 spirit, (and we are sure that any practice which exists among 

 them is of very high antiquity) from rice and the roots of 

 plants, and the savages of the Pacific Ocean prepare a simi- 

 lar product from the masticated roots of herbs. 



The Abyssinians have long been in the habit of ferment- 

 ing the husks and stones of grapes, and distilling the brandy 

 which is highly concentrated through a hollow cane called 

 shambacco.* And the Germans, at the earliest period to 

 which their history carries us, were so partial to fermented 

 liquor, that they believed if they obtained the favour of 

 their divinity (Woden) by their valour, they should be 

 admitted after their death into his hall, and reclining on 



* Pearce's Travels, i. 237. 



