Analysis of Sugar Cane. 



507 



process, at that time new and no doubt ill-managed, did not 

 succeed in effecting the purpose of that celebrated chemist. 

 The vesou arrived in a state so altered, that it had lost its 

 ordinary properties, and Vauquelin was obliged to confine 

 himself to making known the singular substance into which 

 the sugar contained in the liquid had been transformed, in 

 consequence of viscous fermentation. 



M. Gradis, a merchant of Boardeaux, proposed about a 

 year ago, to procure for me some cane juice and canes, that 

 by the examination of those bodies, light might be thrown 

 on some points in the manufacture of colonial sugar. I 

 eagerly accepted this offer, and I lately received these sub- 

 stances preserved by the very simple processes I had pre- 

 scribed. These were — the desiccation of the cane at a low 

 temperature, and the employment of Appert's process, now 

 every where well understood, for the preservation of the 

 cane juice. 



The vesou which I have examined, was obtained in the 

 ordinary way by expression from the pure cane, was imme- 

 diately introduced into common bottles, which were gradually 

 raised to the temperature of 212° F. and then corked and 

 cased in pitch. The operation succeeded perfectly. The vesou 

 in the eight bottles that have been sent me, presents, accord- 

 ing to the Planters who have examined it, all the characters 

 of the ordinary cane juice. It is a cloudy liquid of middling 

 fluidity, holding in suspense that greyish globular matter 

 that is found in the expressed juices of almost all vegetables. 

 It is known, that when sugar is also present, this matter acts 

 as ferment, and transforms it into that viscous substance 

 described by Vauquelin. By only raising the temperature 

 to 21 2° Fahr., that to which this vesou was submitted, the 

 organisation of this substance is destroyed, and it actually 

 loses its fermenting property. 



The density of this cane juice is 108.8, corresponding to 

 twelve or thirteen degrees of Beaume's aerometer. 



