146 
BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
angles is 120°. They are evidently derived from the gradual decomposition of 
the sucrose. 
This transformation proceeds from day to day till the honey is a solid mass of 
crystals, and is then said to “set.” After a time, say twelve months after being 
gathered, so much is changed into masses of glucose crystals that it “candies.” 
The glucose itself begins to ferment and form other compounds. The exa¬ 
mination of a little under the microscope now shows tufts here and there of 
aeicular four-sided prisms, which are the hexatomic alcohol, mannite. 
C 12 H 24 0 12 + H 4 = 2(C 6 H 14 0 6 ). 
Grape sugar. Mannite. 
Decomposition goes further still in very old or badly-kept honey; fermenta¬ 
tion sets in, carbonic acid is given off, and alcohol, with acetic acid, will be dis¬ 
tinctly perceived. 
^12^24^12— ^ (C 2 H 5 HO) -f 4 C0 2 . 
Glucose. Alcohol. 
Then afterwards— 
C 2 H 5 HO 4- 0 2 = C 2 H 4 0 2 + H 2 0. 
Alcohol. Acetic acid. 
The fluid part of old honey is lsevulose, or left-handed glucose. It is uncrys- 
tallizable, and turns the polarized ray to the left instead of the right. 
The pollen-grains may be easily separated for examination by dissolving a 
little honey in a few drops of distilled water put into a conical glass. They col¬ 
lect at the bottom, very little altered, and ready for transferring to the usual glass 
slip. 
From all that has been said, therefore, honey is originally formed from a so¬ 
lution of cane-sugar (sucrose), which gradually changes into grape-sugar (glu¬ 
cose), and forming, as it proceeds, a small portion of mannite, formic acid, and 
alcohol. 
The colour and flavour are both due to, and derived from, the aroma of the 
flowers which the bees have visited. 
Such ought honey to be ; but, alas! like other things, the adulterator has 
found it a good field for his exertion. I have often examined specimens adul- 
gerated with pea- or bean-flour, turmeric, pipe-clay, brown sugar, treacle, 
gypsum, yellow ochre, fine sand, and water. (On the table were specimens of 
pipe-clay, yellow ochre, gypsum, and sand, that had been separated from honey 
bought in Bristol and London.) 
Following are four analyses of samples that were actually bought and sold :— 
No. 1. 
Brown Sugar.15-85 
Honey.. 84T5 
100-00 
No. 2. 
Pea- or bean-flour.18 - 7 
Honey.68'8 
Water.12*5 
100-0 
No. 3. 
Honey.94-9 
Pipe-clay.4*7 
Turmeric. -4 
100-0 
