K. DOMESTIC AND HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY. 479 



case the product is hard, and' may be easily ground up in a 

 mill, when it is in a condition fit for use. The fibrine and al- 

 bumen are not coagulated, and consequently are still able to 

 take up water, and thus expand to their natural condition. 

 The meat powder prepared in this way has a light brownish- 

 yellow color, a slight smell like that of roast beef, and a very 

 pleasant taste. For making soup, two ounces are to be boil- 

 ed, with the usual ingredients, in sixteen ounces of Avater. 

 Such soup is much stronger than when prepared with half a 

 pound of fresh uncut meat, as the latter does not give out its 

 extractive material so completely after any amount of boiling. 

 Half a pound of this pow^der, if stirred into the proper 

 quantity of water, with the addition of an egg, may be treat- 

 ed exactly as if it were the best fresh meat ; and the fact 

 that the fibrine and albumen in this meat powder are not co- 

 agulated renders it a valuable substance in cases of w^eakness, 

 Avhere stimulating food is required, as it is more easily digest- 

 ed than raw meat, while, on account of its minute subdivision, 

 the action of the stomach is facilitated. 5 C, 1873, 11., 15. 



rREPAKATION OF MEAT EXTEACT. 



A new mode of preparing certain kinds of meat has lately 

 been patented in Paris by M. Durand. This has more partic- 

 ular reference to the flesh of prawns, shrimps, and other deli- 

 cate crustaceans, in regard to which, as is w^ell known, much 

 trouble is experienced in the picking out of the flesh from the 

 external skeleton after boilinof. The new method consists in 

 placing the shrimps, while still alive, in a double metallic ring 

 perforated with small holes, some coarse material being used 

 as a filter. This ring is subjected to pressure, which squeezes 

 the flesh out into a vessel placed below. This may be then 

 mixed with the necessary seasoning, boiled, and dried by 

 evaporation, so as to form a compact paste, which will keep 

 for a long time, furnishing an excellent article of food. A 

 similar process can be applied to the preparation of fish, the 

 meat of which can be forced out, leaving the bones, scales, etc., 

 behind. The flesh of both fish and crustaceans before cookino: 

 is very soft, and easily yields to the treatment indicated. This 

 process might perhaps be applied to advantage in the case of 

 shad and herrings, the bones of which constitute so great an 

 objection to them as an article of food. 3 JB, 3Iay 9, 1872, 94. 



