NO MORE SUGAR!

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2236, 6 November 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

NO MORE SUGAR!

A Oermvn chemist, Dv Constantino Fahlberfr, has dieovercd a product of coal-tat which seems destined to work a reVolu-' tion not only in domestic economy, but in many more pretentious branches of the' affairs of maukind. It is called Orthobenzoyl-sulphonimide, which sounds at first like a stiing of naughty,, bad swear words, but docs not really mean anything very terrible. It appears that many of the products of coal-tar, one of the simplest of compound words, cuiiously enough — are fearfully and wonderfully named. Thus we learn that fliivecol is hydroxyphenyllepide, and that when pure orthoarnidaacetophenone is treated iv a ceitain way, flivaniMne is produced, and fiawuiiline is amidophenyllepidine. Luckily tbe^e nubatanoes can be di&tingui&hed by shorter name", and for ordinary purposes the formidable Ortho-benzoyl-snlphonimide maybe cut down to saccharin. Now saccharin atones suggests sugar but it only has one quality iv common with sugar, namely, sweetness. It is literally "the sweetest thing out," being 200 times sweeter than the best cane sugar. A teaspoonful of saccharin will make a barrel of water as sweet as syrup, and the least drop will entirely overcome the intense bitter of a large dose of quinine. It is perfectly wholesome, and is not subject to decay, mould, or fermeutation. The most important difference between saccharin and sugar is that one is a food and the other is not. Saccharin is neither nutriment nor poison. It is simply inert. It cannot, therefore, be used as a substitute for sugar for any sort of food purposes ; but as a flavouring medium its inventor claims that it is destined entirely to supersede sugar. It is produced for about 48s per Ib, which seems rather dear. But lib ot saccharin is equal to 2001b of the best cane sugar, so that it is cheap even at the present price, which iwill probably be greatly reduced when it conies to be manufactured on a large scale. The whole story of the discovery and qualities, of Orthobenzoyl-sul-phonimide has an air of Ameiican rather than German science ; but English chemists of high reputation vouch for the truth of it. Sir Henry Roscoe says this is the most remarkable of all the marvellous products of coal tar, 'and describes Dv Fahlberg'a process as " a triumph of synthetical chemistry." Oithobenzoyl-aulphonimide must, therefore be accepted as a fact. At the frame time we have littlo expectation of its destroying- the sugar trade and reducing the Went Indies and Muritius to a wilderness. This is not by any means the fir^t chemioal discovery that we have heard of, by which domestic economy was to be revolutionised and the habits of mankind turned lop-y-turvey. These things are done slowly if they are done at all, and generally they are not done at all. Chemibtry h no doubt a wonderful science, but at the br.st it is only a travesty of natuio. Frankenstein succeeded in making a man by chemical processes ; but when he had done it he wished ho had not. Most, ordinary commodities can be imitated :i'niost exactly by chemistry; but, [ha in.it.it ions are poor things, and we venture to think that it will be long before orthobenzoylsulphonimide wi'l displace suyar to any appreciable extent. — Kvening 1 Prsss.

Mariner — "Sail, sir? Nice breeze on now, sir." Mr Isaacs. " Vot ! After a dinner as has cost me three-au'-thixpentb. Not me." Somebody has noticed that the letter " P "13 the symbol of power ami authority, for the world is ruled by Princes, Parliament, Press, Pulpit, and Petticoats.