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Show 52 ~ SUGAR-CANE. a aireaicans to the immo quency of consumptions of the lungs, in England, ~ of the fomes also derate use of sugar. I amnot certain whether . thence from d the increasing scurvy maynot rather be derive Ray, who wrote in 1689, says,— << The physicians who lived in the last century, with unanimous consent recommend sugar for complaints in the lungs, hoarseness, cough, rawness of the throat, and internal ulcerations: yet, among us in England, not long since, it began to be accused, and to labour under great discredit, by our ownas well as foreign physicians, who impute the ravages which the scurvy and consumption have lately made in England to the immoderate use of sugar in our food and drinks. “© No person should therefore attribute these evils to the moisture of the atmosphere; for, they say, that in Portugal, where the air is warm, consumption of the lungs is there epidemic, from the same cause; as the Portuguese use more sugar than any people, except the English. “¢ In regard to the scurvy, the same moreancient physicians, as well as those of later times, agree, that it is produced bythe too great use of sugar; andthatit is very hurtful to the teeth, and not only renders them black, but causes them to decay, and to loosen in their sockets, and to fall out; whichare certain signs and symptoms of scurvy. ‘¢ Sugar also contains an acid and very corrosive salt, which appears fromdistillation. «¢ The scurvyis caused by a redundant fixed salt in the blood, and is therefore cured by such things as abound with a volatile salt.” Opposed to these, we have not wanted those who have amply vindicated the effect of sugar. Slare says,—“ I have a strong and home argument to recommend the use of sugar to infants; of which to defraud themis a verycruel thing, if not a crying sin. The argument I bring from Nature’s first kind tribute, or intended food for children so soon as they are born; which is, that fine juice or liquor prepared in the mother’s breasts, called breast-milk, of a fine delicate sweet taste. ‘This sweet is somewhat analogous, or a taste agreeable, to sugar; and, in want of this milk, it is well known, sugar is brought to supply it. You may soon be convinced of the satisfaction which a child has from the taste of sugar, by making two sorts of water-paps, one with, and the SUGAR-CANE. ether without, sugar; they will greedily suck down the one, and make faces at the other. Nor will they be pleased with cow’s milk, unless that be blessed with a little sugar, to bring it to the sweetness of breast-milk. ‘<¢ I will set down an experiment I had from friend. He was a little lean man, who used to drink much wine in company of strong drinkers, I asked him how he was able to bear it. He told me that he received much damagein his health, and was apt to be fuddled, before he used to dissolve sugar in his wine; from that time he was never sick nor inflamed, nor fuddled with wine. He usually drank red wine. ‘¢ I made use of sugar myself in red wine, and I found the like goodeffect; that it prevents heating my blood, or giving myhead any disturbance, if I drink a larger portion than ordinary. ‘¢ I allow about two ounces of sugar to a pint of wine, and dare assert that this proportion will take off the heating quality ef wine in a good measure; and, after one has some time used himself to add sugar to his wine, he will be pleased with the taste, and feel the comfortable and cordial virtue of this composition. ‘* Let those that are thin, and apt to have hot hands and heated brains upon drinking wine, and cannot abstain or be exe cused from drinking, take notice of this counsel, andtryit for some time; andthey will be pleased with the delicious taste, and salubrious effects, of this saccharine addition.”»—Vindication of Sugars, anno 1715. The learned Dr. Moseley has lately very ably vindicated this article, used as diet, and for medicine, in a most elaborate ‘* Treatise on Sugar *.””> We will sum up his arguments in this place. “* When weconsider that the saccharine principle is the soul of vegetable creation, and see how sparingly it is diffused through the general productions of the earth, and how little is collected from the wide range of flowers, by the consummate skill of the laborious bee; or from roots, trees, fruit, and grain, by the chemic art; we cannot but admire the partiality of Nature to the luscious cane, her favourite offspring, the sublimest effort of heat andlight. * ae eS OSFe SRE a Prey 53 a perenne ; This Treatise is one of the very- best monographs wepossess, This Treatice |