Moubray on Poullry. 247 



ble of being converted by heat into solid nutriment, but may be 

 made to compose a constituent part of sugar, one of the most nu- 

 tritious of substances. It is remarked by De Saus&ure, that, " As 

 starch boiled in water with sulphuric acid, and thereby changed 

 into suga,r increases in weight, without uniting with any sulphuric 

 acid, or gas, or without forming any gas, we are under the neces- 

 sity of ascribing the change wholly to the fixation or solidification 

 of water. Hence we must conclude that starch sugar is nothing 

 else than a combination of starch ivith loater in a solid state. The 

 sulphuric acid is not decomposed nor united with the starch as a 

 constituent." 



' It appears, likewise, that Gapt. Palter, of Sackett's Harbor, 

 at the instance of Samuel Guthrie, of the same place, has succeed- 

 ed in the manufacture of sugar from the potatoe; and a detail of 

 the process by which this is effected, is given in Professor Silli- 

 man's Journal of January, 1832. It is there said that — 



"A bushel of potatoes weighs about sixty pounds, and gives 

 eight pounds of pure, fine, dry starch. This amount of starch 

 will make five pints of sugar, of the weight of nearly twelve pounds 

 to the gallon- equal to seven pounds and a half to the bushel of 

 potatoes, or a little less than a pound of sugar to a pound of starch. 

 The sugar is not so sweet as the Muscovado sugar, nor is it actu- 

 ally so sweet as its taste would indicate. 



" This sugar may be used for all domestic purposes. It ferments 

 with great liveliness and spirit, when made into beer, yielding a 

 healthful and delicious beverage, and on distillation a fine cider- 

 brandy flavored spirit. It would, however, be most useful in mak- 

 ing sweetmeats, and may be used upon the table instead of honey, 

 for which it is a good substitute. It has already become a favor- 

 ite with most people who have become acquainted with it. Its 

 taste is that of a delicious sweet, and as an article of diet is un- 

 questionably more healthful and less oppressive to the stomaclf 

 than any other sweet ever used." 



' The elements or chemical constituents of starch, and of sugary 

 are nearly the same. According to Mr. Gay Lussac and Thenardj' 

 one hundred parts of starch are composed of 

 Carbon, with a small quantity of saline and 



earthy matter, 43.55 



Oxygen, 49.68 



Hydrogen, 6.77 



100.00' 

 6r, Carbon, 43,55 



Oxygen and hydrogen in the proportion neces- 



