JJAHLEY-SPKOUTS. 469 



ASH OP AWN. 



Sand and silica, ..... 70.7 



Potash, ...... 7.7 



Soda, ...... 0.4 



Lime, ...... 10.4 



Magnesia, ... . . .1.3 



Oxide of iron, . . . . .1.4 



Chloride of sodium, . . . . 1.1 



Phosphoric acid, ..... 2.0 



Sulphuric acid, ..... 3.0 



Carbonic acid, . . . . .2.0 



100.0 



Barley is the grain commonly made into malt. This is ac- 

 complished by promoting germination by means of moisture 

 and warmth, and then checking the process by a high tem- 

 perature. In this process the peculiar nitrogenous principle dias- 

 tase is produced. This principle does not constitute more than 

 the 1 -500th part of the malt, yet serves to convert the starch 

 of the seed into dextrine and grape-sugar preliminary to the 

 operation of brewing. Experiments have recently been made 

 on the nutritive properties of malted grain as compared with 

 the same grain unmalted. It does not yet appear that the 

 process of malting materially improves the nutritive proper- 

 ties. The infusion or decoction of malt called sweet-wort con- 

 tains saccharine matter, starch, glutinous matter, and mucilage. 

 It is nutritious and laxative, and has been employed as an 

 antiscorbutic and tonic. The decoction is made by boiling 

 three ounces of malt in a quart of water, and this quantity is 

 the daily dose for a man. 



Barley Sprouts or Comins. In the germination of barley, 

 which constitutes the first step in the process of malting, the 

 radicles are protruded at one end of the seeds, and when the 

 drying process commences, by which germination is checked, 



