On Citric Add. 57 



are not f^o completely separated, as -when the juice is first satu- 

 rated with an alkali. 



I cannot speak of this process from my own experience ; and 

 knowing that the most beautiful crystals may be procured by 

 Scheele's process, I have felt no desire of repeating this of 

 Richter, especiallv as it is more expensive, and the use of lead is 

 objectionable where the crystallized acid is intended for internal 

 and domestic i)urposes. 



Fourcroy proposed sending proper persons over to America, to 

 collect the vast quantities of limes and lemons which are annually 

 lost there ; to saturate the expressed juice with chalk, and to 

 send the washed and dried precipitate closely packed in barrels 

 to France, where it might be decomposed, and the citric acid 

 obtained pure. Whether any Frenchmen ever embraced this 

 proposal, I have not learned ; but I know that some few persons 

 have gone from England to different parts of Italy for this pur- 

 pose, and that considerable quantities of the citrate of lime have 

 been imported from thence to Great Britain. 



Having been introduced to a person, who some years ago formed 

 an estabhshment of this sort in Sicily, I have learned several im- 

 portant circumstances relating to this business, which have never 

 vet been given to the public. I have also been favoured with the 

 perusal of a great part of the correspondence which passed on 

 tiie occasion ; and having obtained leave to print the whole, or 

 any part of these letters, I shall subjoin such extracts as I con- 

 ceive will be interesting to those who may be desirous of acquiring 

 more information on the subject. 



In the first letter, which is dated Messina, the 6th of September 

 1 SOS, the writer says, " The time of pressing is generally in the 

 latter end of the month of November or December, for till that 

 period* the lemons yield little or no juice." 



" The country round Messina consists of mountains of im- 

 mense height, rising one above another, and thickly covered to 

 the very tops with fruit-trees, chiefly olives and lemons, which 

 render this place the very best in the world for procuring lemon- 

 juice. The quay surpasses most others, extending for a mile and 

 a half, close to the edge of which ships lie in 20 fathoms water. 

 Formerly a range of superb houses, perfectly uniform, extended 

 the whole length of this marino, or quay ; but ever since the 

 earthquake these magnificent mansions lie in ruins. 



" As soon as the country people press the juice, they bring it 

 in here t for sale. The buyers do not afford it warehouse-room, but 

 roll it into the street, exposed lo the weather and to the heat of 



• At this time of the year 200 lemons are generally required t() furnish a gal- 

 Jon of juice: there arc, iii conse<jueuce, presses so constructed that they can 

 scjucc/.e niai.y thousands of lemons at once. 



+ The farmer brinjjs it to Messina in his own casks, aud the merchant must 

 provide casks to rack it iato^ when he takes it away. 



the 



