GRAMINE^. 597 



of juice=18 of guda (unrefined sugar) or 17 '5 of s/iakar * 

 (dry, unrefined sugar), or 19*5 of raJ (syrupy sugar). The 

 natives generally manufacture the juice into the two kinds of 

 giida^ called in the vernaculars gura or giiila. 



Description. — The transverse section of a sugar-cane 

 exhibits numerous fibro-vascular bundles, scattered through 

 the tissue^ as in other monocotyledonous stems ; these bundles 

 are most abundant towards the exterior, where they form a 

 dense ring covered with a thin epidermis, which is very hard 

 from the quantity of silica deposited in it- In the centre of 

 the stem the vascular bundles are few in number, and traverse 

 an abundant parenchyma which contains in its thin-walled 

 cells an almost clear solution of sugar, with a few small starch 

 granules and a little soluble albuminous matter. The latter is 

 f oimd in larger quantity in the cambial portion of the vascular 

 bundles. The walls of the medullary cells contain pectic 

 matter, but not in sufficient quantity to cause them to swell 

 much in water- (Wiesner.) The unrefined sugar of India 



incorrectlv termed molasses, occurs 



forms in the bazars 

 evident crystalline st 



without 

 partly 



crumbles on pressure 



spoken of by the dealers as floury gur or gul— the first 

 contains the whole of the uncrystallizable portion of the syrup, 

 in the other most of this has been drained ofP.^ Indian 

 molasses or treacle is of a very dark colour, of a peculiar sharp 

 flavour, and has a bitterish after-taste caused by the presence in 

 it of caramel or burnt sugar, produced during the careless 

 evaporation of the cane Juice. It is hardly suited for 

 ptarmaceutical purposes, and as sold in the bazars is generally 

 freely watered and in a state of fermentation. The refined 

 sugars of Indian commerce are manufactured on the European 

 system, chieflv in -Rpncral or are imported from Mauritius, and, 



' Called by Europeans Jaggery, a corruption of the Sanskrit Sarkara 



^ -- • vernacular 



form of Shakkare. 



