Foreign Vegetables. 419 
Allies. From thefe were drawn, by Lixiviation, 
two Drachms and fixty Grains of fixt alkaline Salt. 
The Lofs in Diftillation was eight Ounces and fix 
Drachms ; in Calcination feven Ounces and fifty- 
three Grains. 
Sugar is an eflential Salt, confifting of an acid 
Salt, an Oil and Earth. When it is perfectly re- 
fined, as in Sugar-candy, it concretes into prifma- 
tick Cryftals, whereof the two oppofite Bafes are 
equal and parallel, and the others are Parallelograms. 
It gives no Marks either of an Acid or Alkali. It 
takes Fire, and burns with a vivid Flame : DifTolves 
eafily in watery Menftruums, but with difficulty in 
Spirits and Oils. Being diluted with Water it fer- 
ments, and acquires firfl a vinous Tafte, afterwards 
an acid one. 
A vinous Liquor may therefore be obtained from 
Sugar, if thus fermented, (viz.) dififolve a Pound 
of Sugar in fix or eight Pounds of Water, and 
mix well with them a Spoonful of frefh Ale-yeaft : 
Set them in a warm Place in a Vefiel clofe ftopt, 
but not quite full. After a few Hours the Mixture 
will begin to ferment very flrongly, and after three 
or four Weeks, more or lefs, according to its Quan- 
tity and the Heat of the Place, will produce a vi- 
nous Liquor not unlike Mead. If it be diftiiled it 
yields a ftrong inflammable Spirit. But if the whole 
fermenting Mixture be kept longer in the Heat, it 
foon changes into a ftrong Vinegar entirely like 
that of Wine. 
Although Sugar was known to the Ancients, yet 
in thofe Ages it was but little commended, and 
alfo fparingly ufed. But in Procefs of Time its 
Ufe became very common both in the Shops and 
Kitchen •, and is now imported into Europe , and 
confumed in fuch Quantities, that it is efteemed one 
of the chief Commodities of the new World . 
E e 2 
The 
