CHEMISTRY. 



M7 



chewing-tobacco, in the manufacture of printers' rollers, and of some 

 kinds of ink. 



The following- table shows the composition of fair samples of the 

 solid product : 



The liquid products contain from 34.3 to 42.8 per cent, of dextrose 

 and 29.8 to 45.3 per cent, of dextrine. 



The inorganic constituents consist of ash, sulphuric acid, chlorine, 

 ferric oxide, lime, magnesia, and alkalies. No traces of tin, cojjper, or 

 other metallic impurities were found. The total ash was only between 

 0.325 to 1.000 per cent. 



The question as to the effects of glucose on the health was carefully 

 investigated by Dr. J. R. Duggan, of the Johns Hopkins University. 

 Earlier experiments, chieliy in German}-, were unfavorable to the use of 

 glucose made from potato-starch. Dr. Duggau's experiments occupied 

 two months, duriag which time he repeatedly took large quantities of 

 concentrated extracts from fermentation (in doses from 120 grams to 100 

 grams), without the slightest observable effect. 



In conclusion the committee thus summarize the results of their in- 

 vestigations : (1) The manufacture of sugar from starch is a long-estab- 

 lished industry', scientifically valuable, and commercially imijortant; 

 (2) the processes which it employs at the present time are unobjection- 

 able in their character and leave the product uncontaminated ; (3) the 

 starch-sugar thus made and sent into couimerce is of exceptionable 

 purity and uniformity of composition, and contains no injurious sub- 

 stances; (4) although starch-sugar has only about two-thirds the 

 sweetening power of cane sugar, yet starch-sugar is in no way inferior 

 to cane sugar in healthfulness. 



Appendixes to the report give lists of the starch-sugar factories of 

 the United States, the results of examination of commercial sugars with 

 reference to their adulteration with starch sugar, and a very full bibli- 

 ography of starch-sugar, prepared by the late Dr. E. J. Hallock. A list 

 of patents relating to the manufacture of starch and starch -sugar com- 

 pletes this valuable report. {Report on Glucose., prepared by the National 

 A-cademy of Sciences. United States Internal Bevemie, Washington, 1884. 

 108 pp. 8vo. 



