ON FERMENTATION. QiQ 



gen &c., presents at once to the spark flying ofF the ma- compound 

 chine at least four knovvn gasses, all, I have not the small- nature of th« 

 est doubt, differing in their conducting powers, were they * "^"^^ ^^^ 

 separately tried. This point being ascertained, the phe- 

 nomenon is at once accounted for : the fluid flies to the next 

 best conducting gas from a worse, as it would from different 

 portions of matter. I could advance more on this, only 

 -fear occupying too much space at the expense of more vqi* 

 luable commuication than this from 



Vour most obedient servant, 



I. PHCENIX. 



Liverpool, the \6th of J an, 1812. 



III. 



Abstract of a Paper 0)i Fermentadon : hy Mr. Gay- 



LUSSAC*. 



I 



T is fully demonstrated by the experiments of Lavoisier, Saccharine 



as well as by those of Messrs. Fabroni and Thenard, that to '"^"sraiHi 

 ,,,,.„ . . , a ferment 



produce alcohohc fermentation requires the concurrence of requisite to 



a saccharine matter, and a peculiar ferment of an animal vuil^ui fer- 

 rnu • . L- L 1 /• .1 mentatfon. 



nature. 1 he circumstances favourable to fermentation have 



been long noticed : and it appears to be at present admit- 

 ted, that it may be begun and continued without the assist- 

 ance of any foreign matter, even of oxigen gas. It has Maybe carried 

 been ascertained in fact, that, when the yeast of beer is ^"^ 'Vithout 

 introduced with sugar and water into a vessel, so as to fill it 

 entirely, fermentation takes place in it in the same manner 

 as in the open air : and hence it has been inferred, that the in all cases as 



fermentation of the must of grapes, saccharine fruits, and s*^""*^ haje 



. supposed, 

 grain, would take place, like that of sngar and yeast, with- 

 out the contact of oxigen gas. But to render this in- 

 ference legitimate, it must be presumed, that the ferment which requires 

 contained in fermentable substances is of the same nature '^J^* '*^''^""'>" o' 

 jis that of yeast, Mr. Thenard, to whom we are indebted 



* Ann. de Chijii. vol LXXVI, p,24:5. Read to the Institute Dec. 

 the 3d, 18 IQ. 



