106 FORMATION OF LACTIC ACID FROM CANE SUGAR, 
ART. XXVI. — EXPERIMENTS ON THE FORMATION OF 
LACTIC ACID FROM SUGAR-CANE. 
By Prof. H. Von Blucher. 
1. With a view of repeating the experiments of Pelouze 
and Gelis on the formation of butyric acid, the author added 
to a solution of 1800 grms. of cane-sugar in 9500 grms. of 
water some well washed caseine, and finely pulverized 
chalk, and exposed this mixture in an open glass vessel for 
A\ weeks, in a drying chamber, at a temperature of from 86° 
to 94°, agitating it almost every day. In the course of 17 
days some aggregated crystalline masses separated, which 
in the course of a few more days increased to such an ex- 
tent, that being carried to the surface with the ascending 
bubbles of gas, they formed a compact crust, several inches 
in thickness, on the surface of the liquid. In 31 days the 
whole liquid had become converted into a thick crystalline 
paste. The water which had evaporated during this time 
had always been restored. The entire mass was now fil- 
tered through fine linen and well pressed, again dissolved in 
boiling water, and exposed in a cold place to crystallize ; it 
yielded 1121 grms. crystallized lactate of lime, which, be- 
sides its water of crystallization, contained about \\ per 
cent, humidity. This large amount of lactate of lime was 
perfectly white after the first crystallization, and only ac- 
quired a slight brownish tint after long drying. On recrys- 
tallization the salt remained white, and was perfectly pure. 
2. The author now made several experiments, in which 
the solutions were exposed to a temperature of 80° to 82°. 
They all underwent the same change, with apparently the 
same phenomena. 600 grms. cane-sugar, 2800 water, and 
150 grms. moist caseine, yielded with a sufficient quantity 
of chalk, in the course of 4§ weeks, 469 grms. of well- 
