Vol. XVII. No. 423. 



THE AGRICULTURAL >'£WS. 



213 



when administered to exhausted patients is not because of 

 their alcoholic contents, but because of their invert sugars, 

 ■which give immediate nutrition due to the ijuiek assimilation 

 of them by the system. 



Although sugar has risen considerably in price, it is still 

 probably the moat economical cf all popular foodstuffs for 

 the purpo33 of conveying energy to the human system. It 

 must of course be borne in mind that a certain amount of 

 protein and other matters are essential to make up what is 

 -called a balanced ration, but nevertheless, as regards nutrition 

 and bodily stimulation, sugar is the most quickly acting of 

 -any foodstuflf known. 



An increase in sugar consumed, when not too great, and 

 when the sugar is not too concentrated, lessens or delays 

 fatigue, and increases working power. It has been found 

 that the taking of -3 or 4 oz. of sugar, a short time before 

 1;he usual time for the occurrence of fatigue after labour, 

 prevents the feeling of fatigue, the eti'ect of the sugar being 

 evident about half an hour after eating it. 



THE SWEETEST PLANT KNOWN. 



A well-known Paraguayan botanist. Dr. Moises S. Ber- 

 toni, in Anales Cieniificos Puraguaxos, January 1918, 

 Aas published an interesting account of a plant which 

 he has named Stevia Ribatuliana- This plant grows 

 in the higher lands in the neighbourhood of San Pedro, 

 Paraguay, although it is comparatively rare. It belongs to 

 the order Compositae, and is closely related to the genus 

 Eupatorium, several species of which occur in the West Indian 

 islands. 



It would appear that a chemical analysis of the leaves 

 of this plant in 1899 first drew attention to the wonderful 

 sweetening power which they possess. Further chemical 

 investigation of the plant in the Official laboratory of Ham- 

 burg in 1913 drew still further attention to this plant. The 

 report cf the last named authority states tiiat the specimens 

 received are of the plant which some years ago caused alarm 

 to the producers of sugar. The sweet substance which the 

 leaves contain is more or less 180 times sweeter than cane 

 sugar. Two different sweet substances have been isolated 

 from the leaves; eupatorin or e.s^evin, and rebaudin, the 

 latter being the tripotassic and sodic salt of the former. The 

 crystallized substance, sweet iu taste and red in colour, is 

 probably a glucoside, and is contained in the leaves in coa» 

 junction with resins, tanic acid, wa.ii, and a little oil, in the 

 proportion of from 20 to 26 per cent. The sweet substance is 

 not fermentable. It appears from the analyses made, that the 

 plant has no equal with regard to ihe power of its saccharine 

 contents, but it will not be likely to compete in its industrial 

 application with the known cla.sses of sugar, cane sugar, and 

 beet root sugar, but will probably be limited to medical 

 purposes, such as the preparation of saccharine for use in 

 diabetic cases. 



The importance of the product of this plant is chiefly in 

 its quality as a substitute for saccharine. In this respect it 

 presents the following great advantages over saccharine: -- 



(1) In not having any toxic effect, but being on the 

 contrary wholesome, as has been shown by experience, and 

 by the chemical examination of the plant made by Dr. Reb- 

 Audi, a chemist in honour of whom Dr. Bertoni gave it its 

 apecilic name. 



(2) In being a sweetening substance of greater power. 



(3) In being capable of being employed just as it is 

 .found in its natural state, by using the leaves crushed 

 to powder. 



(4) ■ In the fact that it can be put on the market aft 

 a much lower price than saccharine. 



With regard to its possibilities under cultivation,. 

 Dr. Bertoni says that it can be easily c iltivated, and mights 

 reasonably become an important article of production in Para- 

 guay. Furthermore, a sure market would be open to the pro- 

 duce, seeing that from small samples remitted to Europe and. 

 North America a lively interest has been evoked, and. 

 requests have been made for the supply of many tons if 

 possible. 



The advantages which the plant possesses as a sugar for 

 various medical purposes, the infermentability of the glucosidft 

 derived from it, its enormous sweetening power, from 1-50 to 

 180 times greater than that of sugar, the agreeable taste of 

 syrups prepared with it, tend to show that there may possibly 

 be a great future for the production of this plant. 



It is true that the cultivation of it is attended with thia- 

 drawback that the plants under cultivation have not givea 

 many fertile seeds, but its multiplication by cuttings, suckers, 

 and division of the stalk, chiefly the latter, is comparatively 

 easy. 



In conclusion it is stated that its principal sweetening 

 substance, which ought to be known by the name estevin 

 rather than eupatorin, is a glucoside which it is not necessary 

 to separate from its salt, rebaudin, and that for general medi- 

 cal and economic purposes the powdered leaf might well be 

 employed. The sweetening power of the powdered leaf is forty 

 to forty-five times superior to that of any other known natural 

 substance, and it contains no other active principle or harm- 

 ful substance. The bitter aroi.iatic resin, shown by analysis 

 to be contained in the leaves, has on the contrary a tonia 

 action on the digestive organs. Another advantage whick 

 the leaves possess is that they may be preserved dry without; 

 deterioration for an indefinite period. If cuttings or seeds 

 could be obtained, it might be interesting and perhaps profit- 

 able, to make trial ot growing this plant in the West Indies. 



A NEW INDUSTRY IN BRITISH 

 HONDURAS. 



The Cohune palm {At/aka Cohune) is met with in nearly 

 every part of Honduras. The nuts which it bears in large 

 quantities, yield a fine edible oil, but the shell which covers 

 the kernel is extremely thick and hard, and on account of the 

 difficulty of breaking it but little use has been made of the 

 nuts in the past. 



Of late years considerable interest has been shown in 

 the (Johune nuts, and at various times machines have been 

 introduced to deal with them, but for one reason or another 

 complete success has not been attained. 



It appears from the British Honduras Clarion, May 30, 

 1918, that another venture is to be made, and this time these 

 nuts are to be used in furtherance of the war. 



The use of Cohune nuts in producing a material of the 

 highest value in protecting the lives of the soldiers of the 

 allied nations has recently assumed very great importance. 



The United States Government requires large quantities 

 of them, and has commissioned the Franklin Biker Company 

 to organize a collecting and purchasing system. 



Many discoveries have been mide in the prooess of 

 organizinsj war industries. One of the most unique of these 

 is the high value possessed by charcoal made from the shell 

 of the Co'iunp nut which '>. prolncedin abundance from 

 a variety of palm ^ smmon to the forests of British Honduras. 

 This charcoal is extremely efficacious in neutralizing the effecti 

 of gas attacks. 



