4 



as mentioned in my No. 55 of 1908, and in my Pamphlet 

 on Fish Preservation ; the Ceylon and Indian News- 

 papers also recently discussed it. As I had bought a 

 steriliser and pastilles I have been experimenting it at 

 Ennore with remarkable results ; the fresh fish treated 

 have been hung in the open air and have continued 

 without taint up to complete dryness though they have 

 received no salt, ice, or pj'eservative whatsoever; flies 

 entirely abstain from touching them ; when wrapped 

 in "butter paper" or other good quality of air proof 

 paper, such as vegetable parchment, the fish kept 

 perfectly good for days. The fish are quite indis- 

 tinguishable from untreated fish in appearance, taste, or 

 digestibility and can be — have been — sent up-country 

 without ice and without fear of taint en route ; this has 

 been proved by actual experiment in March. The 

 experiments are now proceeding and will continue 

 through the hot weather and I am of opinion that the 

 process will be found successful ; the sterilised fish has 

 been subsequently smoked with much success. 



The chlorine process, viz., that of steeping fish 

 in electrolysed sea water, is also under successful ex- 

 periments ; by the courtesy of Messrs. Binny & Co., I 

 am being supplied gratis with the fluid, the preserving 

 power of which per se so long as chlorine is evolved, 

 has been completely demonstrated ; it has also been 

 proved that the smell of chlorine is evanescent and 

 entirely disappears in curing, though in fresh fish a 

 slight smell occasionally remains. If completely suc- 

 cessful the process will be very valuable, since absolut- 

 ely nothing is added to the fish which can be brought 

 from sea to shore in a weak bath of the solution in a 

 perfectly fresh state, and can then be treated as desired. 

 In curing the process enables us to use light salting by 

 keeping the fish good while the fish is in this light 

 pickle and until it can be taken out, dried, and smoked ; 

 such fish must, however, be consumed at an early 

 date. The process will probably be applicable not 

 only as above but in transporting fresh fish inland, 

 since experiment has shown that fish even when cooked 

 and eaten fresh, practically loses the smell of chlorine. 

 The fluid used for electrolysis is a solution of our ordi- 

 nary sea salt in water. This and the Hislaire process, 

 and the preservative effect of a slight addition to the 



