MECHANICS AND USEFUL ARTS. 53 



cardium, containing the heart, opened. The right side of the heart, into 

 which all the venous or returning blood enters, is seen distended ; the 

 ear or right auricular tip, as most convenient, is opened, or its tip cut off, 

 or an incision made into the right ventricle; another also directly into the 

 left. The animal is turned on the side to let the blood run out. A pipe, 

 furnished with a stop-cock and coupling at the outer end, is now intro- 

 duced into the incision made in the left ventricle, and makes its way at 

 once into the a'-rta. The lingers holding a piece of stout cord, are now 

 passed round the aorta, close to the heart ( including at the same time the 

 pulmonary artery ) and the cord is tied strongly over both, so that the 

 pipe is fixed in the aorta firmly. To the outer end a coupling, con- 

 nected with an India-rubber or other tube, f of an inch in diameter, 18 to 

 20 feet long, joins this to a vessel or tank elevated to the hight of the 

 length of the tube ; brine of ordinary strength, with a little saltpetre dis- 

 solved in it, is let on ; it directly (under 15 seconds in most cases) rushes 

 out at the incision made either in the right auricle or ventricle before men- 

 tioned. About five gallons will suffice. This clears the smaller vessels 

 for the next stage, which is the essential one. The brine so used can be 

 recovered if desired, by adding a little old brine and heating. The materi- 

 als to be ultimately used are now put into the tank, taking care that they 

 are strained, and a stout clip or clamp is put on the incision in the right 

 side of the he.irt. The fluid is then turned on, and directly makes its 

 way to the right side, as before; but its exit being now prevented, and its 

 admission into the smaller vessels being secured by the first process of 

 clearing these vessels, as mentioned, the fluid, by the pressure and capil- 

 lary attraction of minute vessels and muscular fiber, percolates through 

 every particle of the animal, and can be seen at the moment diffusing it- 

 self in any part, by making incisions in the hide, horn, bone, and flesh, 

 or any other parts. The quantity I use is about one gallon of brine to 

 the cwt., a quarter to half a pound of nitre, two pounds of sugar, a 

 little spice, sauce, etc., to taste ; also half an ounce of the mono- 

 phosphoric acid, which, having the power of coagulating albumen, and 

 forming a compound with it, retains this very desirable element in the 

 flesh, and gives an extra supply of phosphoric acid, which is, of course 

 at present denied the sailor, as above stated. The use of boiling brine in 

 the second stage I also advocate, as it coagulates the albumen, or gives a 

 set (as it is called by cooks) to the meat. It is needless to remark that 

 the entire animal is cured almost instantaneously. 



" I would now draw attention to the further treatment of the flesh re- 

 ferring to 1st, the method scientifically used; 2d, the advantages attain- 

 ed ; 3d, the mechanical advantages ; if we now consider the first part of 

 the process complete. 



" The animal is in a few hours cut up into the eight-pound pieces re- 

 quired by the navy, and is ready for casking in the usual way, or in dry 

 salt (all expense of preparing being don^ away), or for drying by being 

 transferred to a drying-house (as in the specimens for inspection). It is 

 obvious that it loses none of those materials abstracted by the present 

 method of salting, so that the meat is absolutely perfect, as in fresh meat 

 without water, having, as I hold, the additional advantages of salt, which 

 the weight of authority is in favor of rather than against, and of sugar, 

 now issued to the navy, along with the lemon juice ; the use of sugar Lie- 

 big shows plainly is for the formation of lactic acid (which, as mentioned 

 5* 



