412] 
By evaporating this solution to 
dryness, a white tenacious mass is 
obtained, which has such an acrid 
and ‘burning taste, as to affect the 
tongue like caustic alkalies. 
3. By exposing a solution of 
lime and sugar to-the air, after 
having been filtered into an open 
vessel, the surface becomes gradu- 
ally covered with a great number 
of small crystals; these are suc- 
ceeded by others whenever, by 
shaking the liquor, the first form- 
ed ones are made to fall to the 
bottom of the vessel. This forma- 
tion of crystals at the surface con- 
tinues till the liquor contains no 
more lime; then the sugar again 
zequires its proper taste. 
4. The small crystals, of which 
I have just spoken, very readily lose 
their waterof crystalization, by be- 
ing exposed to the open air ; ac- 
cording to my experiments, 1 should 
consider them only as an aerated 
calcareous earth crystallized. 
5. One of the most remarkable 
properties of the filtered solution 
of lime and sugar is, that by being 
made to boil, it soon grows turbid 
and thick ; the lime then fal!s to 
the bottom of the vessel, and this 
precipitate isofa milk-white colour; 
but as soon as the solution grows 
cold, the lime again dissolves 
in it spontaneously, and the solu- 
tlon becomes once more as limpid 
and transparent as it was at first. 
This phenomenon (which it is ra- 
ther difficult to explain} was ob- 
served by M. de Lassone, when, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
in the same manner, he combined 
the neutral salt of tartar with quick 
lime. (See Memoirs of the Aca. 
demy of Paris, 1773, page 191.) 
6. Alcohol, or very highly rec. 
tified spirit of wine, precipitates 
the lime from the forementioned 
solution. é 
7. Mild alkalies, by the aerial 
acid they contain, produce the 
same effect. 
8. Caustic alkalies do not cause 
the smallest alteration in the solu- 
tion, 
IX. From what I have said it 
follows, that the union which ex- 
ists between the saccharine part of 
honey and the oily part is much 
weaker than the union between- 
the same parts in sugar. This last 
cannot be decomposed, in the 
humid way, except by treating it 
with nitrous acid; while honey 
and the sugar it contains, may be 
decomposed, not enly by that acid, 
but also by mild alkalies, and by 
lime. 
Upon the whole, there appears 
very little reason to hope that we 
shall ever be able to obtain honey 
in the form of sugar; to bring it 
into that form, something more 
than a mere separation of its he- 
terogeneous parts seems necessary’, 
It is indeed said, that, in some 
kinds of honey, especially in that 
from Narbonne, crystals of sugar, 
completely formed, have been ob- 
served ; admitting the fact, I con- 
sider it only as an accidental cir- 
cumstance, 
USEFUL 
