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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Nov. i, 1886. 



but contains carbon hydrogen, sulphur, oxygen, and 

 nitrogen in certain atomic relations. There are, it 

 appears, seven distinct steps in the course of 

 obtaining it from the toluene of coal-tar, and the 

 process is described by Sir Henry Eoscoe as a 

 triumph of synthetical chemistry, and perhaps 

 the most remarkable of all the marvellous pro- 

 ducts of coal tar. Saccharin is not a nutri- 

 ment or a poison. Where sugar is used as food 

 the new invention cannot take its place ; but for all 

 sweetening or flavouring purposes its use is cer- 

 tain to be great. It is so sweet, we are told, that 

 a tea-si3oonful will convert a barrel of water into 

 syrup, while a small portion will convert the bit- 

 terest quinine solution into " a regular molasses."' 

 It is already being used by makers of biscuits and 

 " wafers " in Germany. It will neither decay, 

 mould, nor ferment, nor will it be attacked by 

 bacteria. In sweetening power it is, as already 

 mentioned, 220 times more powerful than cane 

 sugar, and it is said that for food purposes a 

 small fraction added to beet sugar makes that 

 article equal to cane sugar in strength, as it is 

 already superior in digestibility and wholesomeness. 

 Another blow to the West Indies ! 



Dr. Fahlberg's story of how he made the dis- 

 covery is hardly less sensational than the inven- 

 tion itself. The German chemists are constantly 

 experimenting with the coal-tar products. It was 

 stated by Professor Meldola that while in this 

 country an experimental chemist can neither find 

 encouragement nor employment — so much so that 

 a young chemist here who wishes an opportunity 

 goes over to Germany — one German colour work 

 alone has fifty-four chemists at work. Labour of 

 this kind goes on with complete indifference as to 

 immediate "practical" results, and most of the 

 concoctions go down the sink ; but one successful 

 hit may enable the discoverer to throw a new and 

 valuable dye upon the market, and so more than 

 repay all the misses that may be made. Dr. 

 Fahlberg was in his laboratory one evening, so 

 much interested in some experiments that he for- 

 got all about supper, till very late he rushed to 

 his meal, without, as usual, washing his hands. 

 Breaking a piece of bread and putting it to his 

 lips, it tasted " inexpressibly sweet." Kinsing 

 his mouth with water and drying it, the 

 napkin with which he wiped his lips tasted 

 sweeter still. Kaising the glass of water to 

 his lips, his mouth came where his fingers 

 had previously touched it, and the water seemed 

 like syrup. Then the truth began to dawn. He 

 applied his thumb to his tongue, only to find it 

 . exceeding in sweetness any confectionery he had 

 ever tasted ! The secret was out — he had discovered 

 some coal-tar product which " out-sugared sugar." 

 A rush back to the laboratory, a taste of every 

 dish he had been working with, and some weeks 

 of careful study and experiment with the stuff he 

 found in one vessel, sulKced to trace out and fix 

 the elements of this remarkable invention. Dr. 

 Fahlberg says that when he first announced his 

 discovery people treated it as a scientific jest, and 

 he was laughed at in the press at home and abroad. 

 But now the laugh is on the other side, and large 

 works to produce Saccharine are already started 

 in Germany. The price at present is from 40s to 

 48s -pev lb., but Dr. Fahlberg hopes to reduce this 

 considerably soon. But even that is not dear for 

 220 lb. weight of sugar. And then the delight of 

 having everything as sweet as you like, without the 

 danger of gi-owing fat ! — Kiiropean Mail. 



[The discovery, we need hardly say, is not new. 

 Dr. Fahlberg found it out in 1879, and it has 

 been frequently referred to in these columns. Even 

 the Weekly Scotvnan admits that when sugar is 



used as food the new invention cannot take its 

 place, and it is very questionable, owing to its 

 enormous cost, whether " Saccharin " will ever be 

 largely used for sweetening or flavouring purposes, 

 even though its sweetening power may be 220 

 times that of cane sugar. As yet it is not certain 

 whether its consumption would prove injurious or 

 not, because although it and many other hydro- 

 carbons do not act as poison, a long course of 

 true hydrocarbons have an effect, more especially 

 upon the liver. Experiments are still being made 

 with this product from coal-tar, but even its dis- 

 coverer. Dr. Fahlberg, hesitates to recommend its use 

 at present. — En. E. ik.] 



CEYLON MINERAL EXHIBITS AT THE 

 LONDON EXHIBITION. 



The mineral resources of Ceylon comprise gold in 

 small quantities, platinum, silver, tin, mercury, iron, 

 and lead, graphite in large quantities, but no coal. 

 The mmerals exhibited are graphite, ironstone, talc, 

 and building stones, with a very fine display of Gems, 

 for which Ceylon has always been famous. The pre- 

 cious stones exhibited are, omitting the diamond from 

 consideration, the finest display of the kind in the Ex- 

 hibition. 



The graphite of Ceylon is too well known to need any 

 commendation. It is chiefly met with in the north- 

 western and western provinces, and is an important 

 article of export, the total quantity which left the 

 island in 1883 amounting to 279,057 cwt. " The yearly 

 value of the graphite exports now varies from one and 

 a-half to two and a-half millions of rupees. . . . 

 the finest bright silvery lumps ranging between 100 

 and 135 rupees per ton, and the lowest quality, in the 

 form of dust, commaudiug a price of from 30 to 45 

 rupees per ton." Both the mining and trade are in the 

 hands of the Sinhalese, and the mines vary in depth 

 from 100 to 450 ft. The graphite exhibited appears 

 to come from the Dematagolla mines at Kurunegala, 

 the most important in Ceylon. JNIr. de Mel's miue at 

 this locality and from which samples are exhibited, 

 has been carried to a depth of 450 ft., and yielding, ac- 

 cording to Mr. A. M. Ferguson, at the rate of 800 tons 

 per annum for 11 years. The graphite exists here 

 generally in horizontal veins, "associated with beauti- 

 ful snow-white transparent crystaline to semi- 

 opaque quartz, the latter occasionally showing specks 

 of garnet and bands of soapstone." Anumber of these 

 small quartz crystals are exhibited by Mr. de Mel 

 in illusu-ation of this. Graphite is said generally to 

 occur in Ceylon in '-quartz gneiss',' embedded or diffus- 

 ed, but usually in long thin horizontal veins, the quality 

 of the mineral always improving with depth. The term 

 mine is hardly applicable to these openings, as they 

 are in reality mere excavations or deep holes. 



Some fine blocks of graphite of great purity are on 

 view, the only associated minerals being little iron 

 pyrites, and the before mentioned quartz. One block, 

 forwarded by Mr. A. T. Fernando, weighs 3 cwt., 3 qr. 

 24 lb., another by Mr. W. A. Fernando' 3^ cwt., and a 

 still larger of 4 cwt. by Mr. W. Guuasekara. Mr. Fer- 

 guson states that a block of Mr. de Mel's was exhibited 

 iu the Philadelphia Exhibitions only 14 lb. short of 6 cwt. 

 probably the '• largest mass of plumbago ever shown." 

 .Some of these masses present a coarsely laminar struc- 

 ture, the portions between the laminae having a pri.s- 

 matic appearance. There are also on a view num- 

 ber of trade samples, known as " ordinary." 

 " chips," and " dust," but from a miueralogical 

 point of view the silvery graphite iu tlakes, shown by 

 Fernando & Co., is most interostiug, each fiake being 

 in fact an hexagonal plate. A fibrous variety is also 

 exhibited by the sauie exhibitor having much the ap- 

 pearance of radiating stibnite crystals. About one- 

 third of the Ceylon graphite is used in the mauu- 

 facture of crucibles, and the process iu illustrated by 

 Messrs. Morgan Brothers, of Battersea, who exhibit 

 specimens showing the various stages in the manu- 

 facture. Several works of art demonstrating the adapt- 

 ability of this miueral for ornamental carving and 



