EICE. 303 



horizontally, and attached by the other to another stick pending 

 from the roof of the shed under which the mill is placed. This 

 forms a crank, by which the upper stone is made to revolve on 

 the other set firmly on the ground. The motion throws the rice 

 through the centre of the stone, and causes it to escape between 

 the edges of the two. 



More starch is contained in this grain than in wheat. Era- 

 connet obtained from Carolina rice 85'07, and from Piedmont 

 rice 83'8 per cent, of starch. Vogel procured from a dried rice no 

 less than 98 per cent, of starch. There are several patent pro- 

 cesses in existence for the manufacture of rice-starch, which are 

 accomplished chiefly by digesting rice in solutions, more or less 

 strong, of caustic alkali (soda), by which the gluten is dissolved and 

 removed, leaving an insoluble matter composed of starch, and a 

 white substance technically called fibre. Under Jones's patent, 

 the alkaline solution employed contains 200 grains of real soda in 

 every gallon of liquor, anil 150 gallons of this liquor are requisite 

 to convert 100 Ibs. of rice into starch. In manufacturing rice- 

 starch on a large scale, Patna rice yields 80 per cent, of market- 

 able starch, and 8'2 per cent, of fibre, the remaining ll'Sper cent, 

 being made up of gluten, gruff", or bran, and a small quantity of 

 light starch carried off" in suspension by the solution. 



Jones's process may be thus described: 100 Ibs. of rice are 

 macerated for 24 hours in 50 gallons of the alkaline solution, and 

 afterwards washed with cold water, drained, and ground. To 100 

 gallons of the alkaline solution are then to be added 100 Ibs. of 

 ground rice, and the mixture stirred repeatedly during 24 hours, 

 and then allowed to stand for about 70 hours to settle or deposit. 

 The alkaline solution is to be drawn off, and to the deposit cold 

 water is to be added, for the double purpose of washing out the 

 alkali and for drawing off the starch from the other matters. 

 The mixture is to be well stirred up and then allowed to rest 

 about an hour for the fibre to fall down. The liquor holding 

 the starch in suspension is to be drawn off and allowed to stand 

 for about 70 hours for the starch to deposit. The waste liquor is 

 now to be removed, and the starch stirred up, blued (if thought 

 necessary), drained, dried, and finished in the usual way.* 



Bice is imported into this country in bags of 1^ cwt., and tierces 

 of 6 cwt., not only for edible purposes, but, when ground into 

 flour, for cotton manufactures, in aiding to form the weaver's 

 dressings for warps. Rice-meal is commonly used for feeding 

 pigs. 



Imported. 



British Eetained for home consump- 



Plantation. Foreign. tion of all kinds. 



1843 . . 136,319 .. 35,125 .. 60,965 



1844 . . 127,876 .. 69,112 .. 126,733 



1845 . . 173,794 .. 5,713 .. 114,933 



* Pharmaceutical Journal, vol. 3, p. 138. 



