142 The Fermentation of Cacao 
sweating-boxes is caused by a fermentation 
process, whereby the sugar present in the 
fruit pulp changes into alcohol and this again 
oxydizes into acetic acid. Both the alcohol 
and the acetic acid were chemically shown. 
Experience shows indeed that when much 
rain falls' during the gathering of the cacao, 
the sugar is washed out of the cacao and it does 
not sweat properly ; but we soon also learn 
that this drawback may be remedied by adding 
a certain quantity of molasses after the cacao 
has been taken to the sweating-house. 
During the laboratory experiments the 
temperature in the baskets could not be raised 
above 40° to 42°C., while that in the sweating 
heaps on the plantations usually represents 42° 
to 45° C.; this is easy to understand, as with 
the baskets, the surface is too large in pro- 
portion to the quantity of cacao and there 
is thus much loss of heat. 
The foregoing relates entirely to the pro- 
cesses which take place in the pulp during 
fermentation, and which we may collectively 
call the external fermentation; on the other 
hand, we have the internal fermentation, that 
is to say the processes enacted in the bean 
itself. 
1 It should here be remarked that the seeds on most 
plantations are sent into the sweating-house already 
stripped of their husks, which is done on the estate, and 
the contents are then taken in baskets to the fermenta- 
tion house. 
