and the Method of making Wines* 851 
that none are susceptible of it but those which contain a 
sweet and saccharine principle ; and it is beyond a doubt 
that it is at the expense of this principle that alcohol is 
formed,, By a consequence which naturally flows from 
this fundamental truth, bodies in which the saccharine 
principle is most abundant ought to furnish the most spi~ 
ritous liquor. This is what is confirmed by experience. 
But it is impossible to insist too much on the necessity of 
making a careful distinction between sugar properly so 
called and the sweet principle. Sugar without doubt ex- 
ists in grapes, and it is to it in particular that is owing 
the alcohol which results from its decomposition by fer- 
mentation ; but this sugar is constantly mixed with a 
sweet body, more or less abundant, and very proper for 
fermentation : it is a real leaven, which almost every 
where accompanies sugar, but which by itself cannot 
produce alcohol. Hence it happens that, when it is ne= 
cessary to ferment sugar in order to obtain rum, it is em- 
ployed in the state of syrup called vezou , because it then 
contains the sweet principle which facilitates the fermen- 
tation. 
The distinction between the sweet principle and sugar 
properly so called has been very well established by 
Deyeux in the Journal des Pharmaciens . 
This sweet principle is almost inseparable from the 
principle of sugar in the products of vegetation ; and 
these two principles are so well combined in some eases 
that they cannot be completely disunited but with diffi- 
culty. This is what will long prevent sugar, perhaps, 
from being extracted for commerce from several vegeta- 
bles which contain it. The sugar-cane appears to be 
that of all the vegetables in which this separation is ea- 
siest. Many facts induce us to believe that this sweet 
principle approaches near in its nature to the saccharine 
principle 5 that, under favourable circumstances, it may 
