[Illustration: How the sugar beet has gained enormously in sugar content
under chemical control]

Pure white sugar is the first and greatest contribution of chemistry to
the world's dietary. It is unique in being a single definite chemical
compound, sucrose, C_{12}H_{22}O_{11}. All natural nutriments are more
or less complex mixtures. Many of them, like wheat or milk or fruit,
contain in various proportions all of the three factors of foods, the
fats, the proteids and the carbohydrates, as well as water and the
minerals and other ingredients necessary to life. But sugar is a simple
substance, like water or salt, and like them is incapable of sustaining
life alone, although unlike them it is nutritious. In fact, except the
fats there is no more nutritious food than sugar, pound for pound, for
it contains no water and no waste. It is therefore the quickest and
usually the cheapest means of supplying bodily energy. But as may be
seen from its formula as given above it contains only three elements,
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, and omits nitrogen and other elements
necessary to the body. An engine requires not only coal but also
lubricating oil, water and bits of steel and brass to keep it in repair.
But as a source of the energy needed in our strenuous life sugar has no
equal and only one rival, alcohol. Alcohol is the offspring of sugar, a
degenerate descendant that retains but few of the good qualities of its
sire and has acquired some evil traits of its own. Alcohol, like sugar,
may serve to furnish the energy of a steam engine or a human body. Used
as a fuel alcohol has certain advantages, but used as a food it has the
disqualification of deranging the bodily mechanism. Even a little
alcohol will impair the accuracy and speed of thought and action, while
a large quantity, as we all know from observation if not experience,
will produce temporary incapacitation.