io8 



in expressing- the intra -cellular moisture extracted from 

 the t'ssue cells by the salt. A small amount of other 

 preservatives may be applied with the salt to increase 

 its antiseptic and plasmolysing effect. Artificial drying 

 by very simple and cheap methods such as I have seen 

 in operation will also be tried. 



31. It will be noticed that in this Presidency (practi- 

 cally in India generally) there is in use no such method of 

 curing as the smoking, wet pickling, mealing, and canning 

 of Western countries. The preference universally given 

 to diying, with or without salting, is easily explicable — 



(i) Complete drying is one of the best as well as 

 simplest and handiest modes of preserving animal pro- 

 ducts ; l)acteria cannot act in the absence ot moisture and 

 the powerful sun is always at hand to dry without cost ; 

 salt is used both as an antiseptic and to hasten the 

 dryage of the tissues ; 



(2) in drying a smaller amount of salt is needed 

 than in wet methods, a matter of chief importance where 

 salt is very expensive ; 



(3 ) the nutritive value is retained by simple drying 

 whereas much is lost in heavily salted goods through 

 the extraction by the salt of nutritive fluids from the 

 cells ; it is true, however, that extreme drying reduces 

 digestibility and, consequently, its nutrient quality ; 



(4J by the great reduction in weight, transport 

 difficulties and charges are reduced to a minimum, a 

 most important point where communications are or have 

 been defective and journeys lengthy ; 



(5) no packing is required beyond simple matting, 

 and this again lessens cost as well as weight and bulk 

 for transport ; 



(6) no expensive machinery, plant or stock, is 

 required as in the making of barrels, etc. ; 



(7) the result is that sun-dried fish is probably 

 the cheapest of all preserved goods. 



These advantages are still of great importance though 

 not so much as 20 years ago when transport facilities 

 were far less and salt extravagantly dear. Hence the 

 experimental station will lend its chief eftbrts in curing 

 to the sui)ply of the goods to which the public has 

 become accustomed, but improved, cured through, and 

 absolutely wholesome in character, such as the dried 

 salt cod of America, Norway and England. 



