the 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL. XXXIII. 
No. 389. 
MAY, 1860. 
Fourth Series. 
No. 65. 
Communications and Cases, 
ON STARCH, ITS VARIETIES, AND SOME OF THE 
CHANGES IT UNDERGOES. 
Among the metamorphoses that obtain in organic sub¬ 
stances, there are few more interesting or of greater importance 
than those which occur in starch. 
Starch, as existing in the vegetable kingdom,is conjectured 
to be the origin of most of the non-nitrogenized proximate 
principles there met with, such as gum, sugar, Jignine, &c. 
In the growing plant these compounds are produced by pro¬ 
cesses too intricate and recondite for the ken of man to com¬ 
prehend, therefore they are inexplicable ; yet have a few of 
them been formed by him in his laboratory. 
On the large scale, according to Mr. T. G. Calvert, F.R.S., 
who has lately read a paper on it at the Society of Arts, Starch 
is made by 
“ Mixing wheat with water in large vats, and allowing it to ferment 
for several weeks. The fermentation produces what is called sour water , 
which contains alcohol, acetate of ammonia, acetic and lactic acids, bi¬ 
phosphate of lime and decomposed gluten. Alcohol is first formed, but 
it is rapidly transformed into acetic acid, and it is by this acid and the 
lactic acid that the separation of the starch and the gluten is effected. 
The fermentation and the acids, however, do not remove or destroy the 
whole of the gluten, which forms a layer called slimes or flummery on 
the top of the starch. This, which was formerly used for feeding pigs, 
is now employed by the calico printer as a resist paste. After the 
slimes have been removed by washing and by sieves, the starch is allowed 
to settle in clear water for several days. It is then drained from the 
water, dried, and cut into lumps of about six inches cubic, which are 
placed in carefully heated stoves, where they split into the irregular 
pieces well known to consumers.” 
“ At the beginning of this century,” he said, “ starch was only used in 
the laundry, for the toilet, and to a limited extent as diet; hut since it 
and its products have become used in manufactures, its consumption has 
xxxm. 33 
