SUGAR, MOLASSES, CONFECTIONS, AND HONEY. 673 



NOTES ON ANALYSES. 

 GENERAL. 



The total absence of any added matters to the sugars of commerce 

 is plainly shown by the five hundred analyses of samples purchased in 

 open market in different parts of the country. 



A few years ago an attempt was made to adulterate cane sugar, then 

 worth nearly 10 cents a pound, with sugar made from cornstarch, worth 

 from 3 to 5 cents a pound. This sugar was sold in considerable quan- 

 tities under the name of new-process sugar. It is needless to say that 

 it passed into consumption under the impression that it was genuine 

 cane sugar. The cornstarch sugar, on account of the difficulty of dry- 

 ing it, made the whole mass sticky and difficult to handle. This variety 

 of sugar, therefore, did not find a ready sale, and its manufacture never 

 assumed very large proportions. 



Attempts were then made to manufacture pure anhydrous corn- 

 starch sugar, and these attempts were successful from a chemical, but 

 not from a commercial, point of view. In point of fact, however, con- 

 siderable quantities of this dry dextrose were put on the market, and I 

 believe it is still made under the patents of Dr. Aruo Behr. 



The low price of cane sugar, however, has heretofore prevented the 

 profitable adulteration of cane sugar with any article made from starch. 

 It is also gratifying to know that the powdered sugars of commerce 

 were not found adulterated with starch or terra alba ; at least, in so far 

 as the limited examination of them extended. 



The chief adulterant of low-grade sugars, if it can properly be so 

 called, is water. By modern methods of sugar-boiling a great deal of 

 low-grade sugar and water can be incorporated in low-priced sugars, 

 which still show an almost white color. This is due to the combined 

 influence of bone black, and low temperature in the vacuum pan. By 

 means of bone black the sirups are nearly or quite decolorized ; and 

 by boiling at a low temperature (115 to 120 F.) a soft crystal of sugar 

 is formed which is capable of holding a large percentage of water and 

 reducing sugar. The resulting sugar is, nevertheless, almost white, and 

 finds a ready sale for many culinary operations. These sugars are 

 easily detected by noticing the polarizations below 90 in the tables of 

 analyses. 



The question of the use of these sugars is one of economy only, 

 for they are certainly not injurious to health. In general it may be 

 said that for a given sum a greater quantity of saccharine matter can 

 be purchased by taking the high grade sugars. In respect of maple 

 sugar there is a general impression that it is largely adulterated with 

 cheaper varieties. At the present time the resources of chemistry are 

 powerless to detect such an adulteration. The sugar of the maple sap 

 is identical in composition with that of the sugar cane, sorghum, and 



