CITRIC ACID. 



293 



the amount of the import duty." In the provinces of 

 Calabria, in the same kingdom, the product is treated 

 with the same carelessness ; but at Sorrento small 

 quantities may be procured of great excellence. 



Lemon juice is imported into this country at a 

 duty, if raw, of ^e?., if concentrated, of Jd. per gallon ; 

 from British possessions the concentrated juice is 

 admitted at the same duty as if raw. Lime juice is 

 generally stronger in acid than lemon juice, but it 

 does not obtain so good a price in the market, the 

 first being from Is. 3d. to Is. 9d. per gallon, and the 

 other from Is. 6d. to 2s. per gallon. 



The quantity imported last year for home con- 

 sumption was 20,595 gallons*. The specific gravity 

 of good lemon juice is from 1'0312 to 1*0625. 



The juice can be procured with advantage only at 

 one season of the year, and is likely to spoil if kept 

 for any length of time without preparation. Besides 

 this, there are many causes which may prevent its 

 being received of a good quality. The fruit from 

 which it was obtained may have been gathered in 

 an unfavourable month, after the descent of the 

 heavy periodical rains; or it may be deteriorated 

 by the spontaneous decomposition which is occa- 

 sioned by age; or it may have been designedly 

 diluted with water by a dishonest vender. Inde- 

 pendent of all these objections to the extensive impor- 

 tation of the crude juice, there is the increased freight 

 in the bulk of the article, as compared with that of 

 the citric acid which it contains, and which is the 

 only part that is useful in the arts, the remaining, 

 and by far the greater proportion, being made up 



* A considerable quantity of lemon juice is consumed by the 

 British navy as an anti-scorbutic. It is usual to put about ten, 

 gallons of brandy to every hundred gallons of juice; this preci- 

 pitates the mucilage, which would otherwise during a long voyage 

 throw the whole into a state of fermentation, when it would be 

 entirely spoiled. 



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