MALT. 443 
says, however, that for persons with whom the digestion of 
starchy foods is difficult, a Malt extract is not the best preparation 
to employ. It will be a far more certain plan, and cheaper, as 
well as pleasanter, to make an infusion of Malt at home, and to 
either use it as a beverage at meals, or preferably to stir some of 
it into the starchy foods, such as puddings, gruel, etc., before 
they are eaten. 
Dr. Ringer directs that the Malt extracts, if given for the reasons 
we have stated, should be sipped during the progress of a meal 
whereat any starchy food is eaten. “ Do not,” says he, “as is 
frequently advised, give the Maltine, or Malt-extract at the end 
of a meal, when admixture of the food mass with the acid gastric 
juice secreted by the stomach during first digestion is now well 
advanced.” Though Professor Foster tells, as a physiological 
fact that the acidity of the stomach’s contents promptly after a 
meal is at first quite feeble ; indeed, with man, in some cases at 
least, for some time after the beginning of a meal no free acid is 
present in the stomach, and during this period the conversion 
of starch into sugar may continue therein uninterruptedly, with 
neutral surroundings. 
The making of malted bread consists in adding to its substance 
some Malt extract, obtained by evaporating an infusion of malted 
barley to a syrupy consistence at a low temperature. This 
contains the ferment, diastase, which is able to convert starch 
into soluble substances (maltose, and dextrin). When therefore 
Malt extract is mixed in the dough with its part of the starch, 
this latter is ultimately converted into Malt sugar, and dextrin. 
In other words, part of the starch is digested. But it is important 
to remember that this ferment diastase, is readily killed if exposed 
to a high temperature: hence its activity inevitably ceases 
whenever the bread enters the oven. If then any considerable 
part of the starch of the dough is to be converted, the Malt- 
extract must be added very early in the process. (Dr. R. Hut- 
chison). 
Malt extract is of two-fold value,—as a drug, and as a food. 
It converts the starches into sugar, theréby affording warmth 
and fat ; so that in health the relative effect oi a meal of bread 
and cheese, taken with or without some wholesome beer oi malt 
and hops, was well recognized by our working folk long before 
any special preparation of Malt extracts became introduced. 
Thus it is that good London porter, and nourishing stout, are— 
