Properties and Uses.—There is no species of the Cerealia, which manifests itself under such varied forms, sizes, colours, and chemical ingredients, as maize. While some persons have estimated it in value, equal, if not superior, to all other kinds of grain, others, on the contrary, have placed it in the lowest station in the group to which it belongs. It has been contended by some that it contains no gluten, and little, if any, ready-formed saccharine matter, and hence, could possess but a very small nutritive power, while others have observed that domestic animals, which are fed on maize, very speedily become fat, with their flesh, at the same time, remarkably firm; that horses, which consume it, are enabled to perform their full portion of labour, are exceedingly hardy, and require but little care; and that the inhabitants of the countries where it forms a large share of their food, are, for the most part, strong, healthy, and long-lived. The investigations of vegetable chemistry, however, have more recently revealed to us many important and interesting facts on these points, yet our knowledge on the subject is far from being complete.
According to Marabelli’s analysis of Zea mays, made twenty or thirty years ago, it contains a saccharine matter of different degrees of purity, from which alcohol, the oxalic and acetous acids may be obtained; a vegetable amylaceous substance; a glutinous substance; muriate and nitrate of magnesia; carbonates of potash, lime, and of magnesia; and iron.
According to the analysis of M. Payen, maize consists of the following ingredients. One hundred parts by weight yielded
