242 DISCUSSION. 



the floor. In ten minutes the muscular tremors came on recurring 

 with perfect regularity. In twenty minutes there was foaming at 

 the mouth. In thirty minutes the muscular tremors came on in 

 paroxysms, especially at each inspiration of the lungs, amounting 

 to what .Dr. Ash burton Thompson better described as a spasm. 

 The tremors continued for some time. In three hours the dog 

 was in a state of coma, the twitching going on all the while 

 regularly. At this stage violent headache and nausea was 

 experienced by myself and two other observers. The dog was 

 seized with a most violent fit of vomiting about five hours after, 

 and partially recovered in 21 hours from the time of administration. 



In conclusion, these results may be summarised as follows : — 



1. That traces of certain other alcohols besides ordinary ethylic 

 alcohol exist in most of the beers brewed in Sydney. 



2. That these may be derived either from the the temperature 

 at which the fermentation is allowed to take place ; or from the 

 excessive use of saccharum, glucose, or sugar crystals, or from both. 



3. That the presence of even traces of fusel oil is quite undesirable 

 and most probably injurious to health, since it is known that small 

 quantities of fusel oil act as a poison on the animal system. 



Discussion. 



Mr. W. A. Dixon F.C.S., said that it seemed to him that too 

 much attention had of late been given to minute analysis of 

 foods. Since Mr. Hamlet's first report had been published he 

 had eiven a »'ood deal of attention to this matter and had 

 himself carried out some experiments. From these, as far as 

 he had gone, he concluded that the glycerine formed during 

 fermentation was extracted by the chloroform, and in the 

 process used by Mr. Hamlet this was oxidised to formic acid and 

 determined as valerianic acid and hence as amylic alcohol. Mr. 

 Hamlet appeared to have only examined beers manufactured in 

 Sydney. He (Mr. Dixon) had examined beer brewed at home 

 and found as much amylic alcohol as in any beer brewed here. It 

 seemed to him that amylic alcohol was always produced more or 

 less in fermentation ; and that its production was not well 

 understood. It is only known that it is produced in largest 

 quantity from roots, next from raw grain, and generally when the 

 yeast was in bad condition, and the temperature high. He did 

 not think the temperature of fermentation here was carried much 

 higher than at home, not much beyond 76° or 78° F. at the outside. 

 If much amylic alcohol was produced the beer would be very 

 distasteful. What was essential at one time was not so at another, 

 thus at one time beer was brewed without hops at all ; in the 

 reign of Queen Elizabeth very stringent regulations were laid down 



