II. S. OLCOTT ON TIIE SORGUO AND LMPUEE. 41<j 



demonstrate the very peculiar and distinctive character of my 

 treatment, distinguishing it, therefore, from all other methods. 



The juice, as it comes from the mill,l have always found to be 

 palpably acid ; the first elTcct of the lime, therefore, is to neutral- 

 ize the juice; secondly, to regulate (by a farther addition of lime) 

 as large a quantity of the feculencies as possible, by saturating the 

 acids which hold them dissolved in the juice. When the lime 

 has in this manner combined with the acids, and liberated the 

 feculencies, whatever lime may be in excess tends to make the 

 juice alkaline, which the turmeric paper immediately denotes, 

 showing the necessity of instant filtration, which yields a beauti- 

 ful clean, clear bright juice, luitJiout any heat liavimj heen used, leav- 

 ing in the filtered juice, besides the sugar and water, only a little 

 dextrine, caseine, and saline matter. By this simple process, a host 

 of troublesome albuminous, glutinous, gummy, waxy, and muci- 

 laginous matters, combined under the general head oi feculencies, 

 are got rid of entirely, before they can act injuriously upon the 

 sugar contained in the juice, which they infallibly do the moment 

 we apply heat to the undefecated mass. Having thus obtained 

 this bright raw juice, I next treat it in the manner already speci- 

 fied, with heat, infusion of nut-galls (or other analogous substance 

 containing tannin), and cream of lime, lime-water, or other suitable 

 combination of lime, and then filter, so as to get rid of the dextrine 

 and caseine, or as much of them as is possible, previous to subject- 

 ing the juice to continuous heat. 



The mere idea of using an infusion of nut-galls or other tan- 

 nin substances in sugar-making is not new, inasmuch as these 

 substances have been recommended and even been tried by W. 

 J. Evans, M.D., of London, in whose work, the "Sugar-Planter's 

 Manual" (18-i7), it may be found at page 101 ; but it will be at 

 once observed that the manner of employing it or them, as laid 

 down therein by Doctor Evans, is entirely different from my 

 own method ; for he applies the infusion of nut-galls to the raio 

 green juice in the clarifier, just as it comes from the mill, and 

 j^revious to any other defecation having taken place; whereas 

 I, on the contrary, first defecate the cold raw green juice by means 

 of lime, cream of lime, or other suitable preparation of lime (as 

 hereinbefore set forth), and then filter the juice so treated, there- 

 by getting rid of the great mass of green feculent matter con- 

 tained in it, and obtaining a clear, bright, and almost colorless 

 juice or liquor, previous to applying any heat whatever, and pre- 

 vious to the venturing upon any application of the infusion of 

 nut-galls or other tannic substances, thus forming a totally dis- 

 tinct method of using and applying the said tannic substances to 

 the juice. 



My process, therefore, consists, yz?'5^, in the cold defecation of raw 

 juice by means of lime, or other suitable combination of lime, im- 

 mediately followed by filtration, as hereinbefore particularly de- 



