BET 



of profeflbr Lampadius of Freybsrg, near Drefden, it ap- 

 pears, that beet-roots contain water, fibrous matter, fugar, 

 mucilage, glair, ftarch, colouring matter, fcented matter, and 

 a bitter fubilancc. The water is in the proportion of from 

 one-half to two-thirds of the weight of the roots ; the 

 fibrous matter of the roots differs, and it is confiderably more 

 in poor than in rich land ; the faccharine particles vary from 

 two to five per cent. ; the mucilage is from three to five per 

 cent. ; and the glair, or matter refembling white of egg, is 

 about one per cent. ; the ftarch is in very fmall quantity, 

 being only about two or three ounces in a hundred weight ; 

 the colouring matter undergoes feveral changes by expo- 

 fure to the air, as yellowifh, brown and red, and may be 

 precipitated by acetite of lead ; the fcented matter is vola- 

 tile, rifing in diftillation of the root with water, combining 

 clofely with fpiiita of wine, and occafioning a peculiar con- 

 tra<flion in the organs of tafte. By boiUng the beet-roots, 

 the fmell and tafte are very much leffeued. The bitter fub- 

 hance is foluble in water, and remains behind in the firft 

 fyrup after the cryftallization of the fugar. From other 

 experiments of the fame profelTor, it appears, that iiolbs. 

 of beet-roots, the beta cicla of Linnsus, or white Englifii 

 beet, wafhed. peeled, cleaned, and then grated, gave a mafs 

 which weighed 87 pounds ; out of which were prefled 41 J 

 pounds of juice, which was boiled with 20t ounces of char- 

 coal powder. This, when filtered and evaporated down 

 until cryllalhzed, produced full five pounds of a brownifti 

 yellow-grained fugar, and alfo five ounces of brown fyrup. 

 The above brown fugar, after being diffolved in fix pounds 

 of lime-water, mixed with one pound of blood, then boiled, 

 filtered, and afterwards evaporated, yielded four pounds 5 1 

 ounces of purified brown fugar, and 6| ounces of fyrup. The 

 four pounds 5! ounces of fugar, thus prepared, were again 

 dilTolved in fix pounds of lime-water, mixed with one pound 

 of milk, and then boiled for a quarter of an hour ; during 

 the boiUng, a fmall quantity of white wine vinegar, and a 

 little more milk, were added ; the faccharine matter was 

 filtered, and treated as before ; the produA was four pounds 

 of well-grained white powder fugar. The refiduum after 

 preffure, the brown fynips of the two firft procefies, and 

 the remains of the filtrations, weighed, when colleded, 40 

 pounds ; they were mixed with one quart of yeaft, and 80 

 quarts of water, heated to 112° of Fahrenheit's, and after 

 fermenting 48 hours, were diftilled. They furnilhed, at the 

 firll diftillation, 15 quarts of weak fpirit, which, on a fecond 

 diftillation, gave eight quarts of a better i from which, when 

 re£lified, were produced 3 J quarts of fpirits refembling rum. 

 From the refult of this ferics of experiments it appeared, 

 that after paying the farmer for the roots, and difcharging 

 all incidental txpences whatever, a profit was yielded of nearly 

 cent, per cent, on valuing the four pounds of white powder 

 fugar at one fliilling per pound, and the three quarts and a 

 half of rum at one fhiUing per quart. The produce of beet- 

 roots and their quality for yielding fugar, have, however, 

 been variable ; and of courfe the profit accruing from them. 

 From M. Achard's acco\mt we learn, that 24 meafures of 

 roots, each of which weighs about 90 pounds, (in all 2160 

 pounds) and cofts about 6d Engli(h, produce 100 pounds 

 of raw fugar ; that is, 20 pounds of roots produce nearly 

 one pound of fugar. One hundred pounds of raw fugar 

 give 55 pounds of refined fugar, and 25 pounds of molafies. 

 Another ftatement informs us, that 14 pounds of raw fugar 

 pave I J pound of lump-fugar, i| pound of white powder 

 fugar, and I g of darker-coloured powder fugar, and eight 

 pounds of brown fyrup ; from which more fugar might 

 have been obtanied. It is computed, in M. Achard's ac- 

 count, that a Gtvuian fquare mile of land, (tliat is, 16 fquare 



BET 



miles, Englifh), properly cultivated, would produce white 

 beet fufficient to furnifti the whole Pruflian dominions with 

 fugar. 



BETANCOS, Betanzos, or Bitanze, in Geography, 

 a town of Spain, in Galicia, 3 leagues from Corunna, 9 

 from Compoftella, and 7 from Ferrol. It has a good har- 

 bour in the mouth of the river Maudeo. N. lat. 43° 15'. 

 W. long. 7= 56'. 



BETEL, in Botany, an Indian plant, in great ufe and 

 eileem throughout the Eail, wtiere it makes a confiderable 

 article of commerce. See Piper. 



The betel bears Tome rcfemblance to the pepper-tree. It 

 grows like ivy, and twifts round other trees. Its leaves are 

 long and fliarp-pointed, but broad towards the ftalk, and of 

 a pale green colour. They are like thofe of ivy, only fofter, 

 and full of red juice, which, among the Orientals, is repu- 

 ted of wonderful virtue for fortifying the teeth, and render- 

 ing the breath fweet. The Indians arc continually chew- 

 ing thefe leaves, which renders their lips fo red, and teeth 

 black, a colour by them vaftly preferred to the whitenefs 

 affefted by the Europeans. 



The confumption of betel leaves is incredible ; no body, 

 rich or poor, being without their box of betel, which they 

 prefent to each other by way of civility, as we do fnuff. In 

 many places they chew the areca nut, either alone or niixt 

 with the betel leaf and lime, and the leaves of this plant are 

 fometimes chewed alone ; but they are too fiiarp, and 

 ufually injure the teeth, and it is not uncommon to find 

 men of 25 wholly toothlefs in this part of the world, merely 

 from their having chew.ed this plant to an excefiive degree. 

 The prepared betel is a veiy common prefent among the 

 poorer fort ; and on taking leave of a friend, it is al- 

 ways the cuftom to make him a prefent of a purfe of the 

 leaves prepared for ufe. When the poorer fort are to ap- 

 pear before the rich, they always chew a large quantity of 

 betel, to give them a fweet breath ; and the women, on 

 certain occaflons, never fail to take largely of it as a pro- 

 vocative. On all vifits, the company is regaled with pre- 

 pared betel. The principal time of ufing it is after dinner, 

 at which time, they fay, it prevents ficknefsat the ftomach ; 

 and they never abftain from it, except on the folemn occa- 

 fions of the funerals of their relations, and their days of 

 falling. Moderately ufed, it is faid to ftrengthen the gums, 

 corroborate the heart and ftomach, difcufs flatulencies, 

 purge both the ftomach and brain, and prevent the fcurvy. 

 If chewed after breakfaft, it makes the breath fweet for 

 the whole day. The Portuguefe women are as fond of 

 the betel as the Indians themfelve?, and cannot live a day 

 without it. It is faid, however, that few Europeans caa 

 accuftom themfelves to the ufe of it. On many occafions 

 it produces ficknefs, and fometimes intoxication, of no long 

 continuance. The Chinefe alfo ufe the leaves of betel, 

 covered with quick lime, and wrapped round the nut areca, 

 which in ftiape much refembles a nutmeg. They chew 

 thefe leaves continually, and pretend that they ftrengthen 

 the gums, comfort the brain, expel bile, nouriih the glands 

 of the throat, and ferve as a prefervative againft the afthma ; 

 a difeafe, which, from the heat of the climate, is very com- 

 mon in the fouthern provinces. They carry betel and 

 areca (fee Areca) in boxes, and prefent it when they meet 

 one another. 



BETELGEULE, or Bedeigaezk, In /{jlronom\, 

 a fixed ftar of the firll magnitude in Orion's hiiid 

 Ihoulder. 



BETES KOE, in Geography, ■3. town of Siberia, on the 

 weft, fide of the Irtifti, 230 miles 8.F.. of ToboKk. 



BETH» 



