(]3 



of ac'ul formed, a circumstance whicli shows tliat a combustion occurs resulting 

 in tlie formation of carbonic acid and water. In fact tlic li(]^uid wliich has been 

 kept over a summer will be found to be highly charged with carbonic acid, 

 whereas unaltered sake contains none. 



At the bottom of the vessel in whicli the sake has been kept is a thick 

 deposit consisting almost entirely of minute cells some of which are represented in 

 the accompanying figures, Plate XV. The organisms in fig. 1 . resemble those found 

 in p-itri 1 beer, and those in fig. 2, are almost identical with the filaments which 

 produce "turned" beer. The former are more commonly met with, and doubt- 

 less, by their growth give rise to the unpleasant odour characteristic of spoilt 

 sake. It is for the purpose of destroying these organisms that the sake is lieated, 

 hut as, after heating, no precaution is taken to prevent the contact of the liquid 

 with fresh germs repeated heatings are necessary. Indeed during the hot months 

 from June till September, the sake must be heated at least once a month and 

 very often more frequently. 



It is an important and interesting fact that the process of heating the sake 

 for the purpose of preserving it has Leen in use in Japan for about 300 years, and 

 it is all the more remarkable, that having discovered the beneficial effect of this 

 ojieration, the brewer should not have made it lasting by taking precautions 

 against subsequent contamination. Instead of doing this, however, the liquid 

 after having been heated is returned to the same store vats in which it was for- 

 merly kept, and the sides of which still retain particles of the ferment attached. 

 When the still hot liquid is put into the vat, it is possible that the high 

 temperature will kill all those germs adhering to the sides of the tun so far 

 as the liquid rise.«. But above the level of the liquid they will remain 

 untouched, and as, during the subsequent standing of the sake, the alcohol is 

 drawn up the sides of the tun and runs back again in the fonn of '■ tears," the 

 germs will in that way be carried down into the sake, will slowly develope, and 

 in a comparatively short time will render it imdrinkable. 



The Japanese brewer lias been credited with the discovery of the method of 

 preserving alcoholic liquids which has made the name of M. Pasteur so widely 

 known, but wlien wc consider tliat in Japan, tlie heated li(iuid is allowed to 

 liecome inoculated with the germs of its disease, even at the time of its so-called 

 [)reservation, we see that he has omitted a part of the jirocess which M. Pasteur 

 tnily regards as vital. When an alcoholic liquid has been " pasteurized", as the 

 expression is, it will keep for an indefinite time, because the germs of disesxse 

 which were already present liave lx;en killed by the high temperature of the liquid, 

 and care is subsequently taken that no fresh germs find access to it. A wino 

 thus trciited not only does not detori(jrate but actually improves by keeping, 

 because it i.s allowed to "age" without the danger of any malady being set u[) 

 which would spoil it. The Japaneso wine, sake, is not allowed to improvo in 

 this way; I have in \ain endeavoured to get ramples wliijli have leen preserve«! 

 for several years. As a rule, even at the most cxteiisive breweries ii Itaini and 



