72 FEBMENTATIOtf. 



in connexion with it, renders the whole subject so 

 much more intelligible, belongs to Stahl, who first 

 clearly and distinctly enunciated it. 



But the movement of the molecule is peculiar, and 

 the word movement is as ill fitted to convey a correct 

 idea of what is intended, as the word movement is to 

 express the outstretching of the hand of friendship, or 

 the drawing the sword of destruction, though both are 

 actually movements of the hand. Schmidt mentions 

 that gluten, meat, or ferment, in an advanced stage of 

 decomposition, if put into a solution of 1 part sugar 

 in 4 parts of water, loses in a few hours all signs of 

 putrefaction, and yields a liquid of an agreeable odour, 

 and which, if distilled, furnishes alcohol. 



This fact is of importance on two accounts, it 

 teaches us that sugar reverses the action of putre- 

 faction, annuls it, and sets up fermentation. Pu- 

 trefaction would progress were it not for the sugar, 

 which decides the movement of the molecule to fer- 

 mentation. Just so in the case of fresh ferment, 

 sugar is active, not passive. "We learn further that 

 yeast cells are formed from putrid gluten or putrid 

 meat. That these substances are coupled compounds 

 of sugar is beyond doubt. Here also sugar is converted 

 into ferment cellulose, 



We will first apply these general results to the fer- 

 mentation of grapes, before we proceed to develope, 

 in detail, the history of spirits of wine. 



Vegetable albumen and mucilage are found in the 



