129 



both fresh and salted products on the European market. 

 I propose to choose the former method, not, however, 

 as the less of two evils, for the moderate use of pre- 

 servatives is harmless, but as positively beneficial in 

 permitting- the supply of pure wholesome food not other- 

 wise attainable, and to use slight admixtures of recognized 

 British preservatives, with salt as a main preservative ; 

 they will be used with a light solution of salt as a wash 

 to keep off taint when at sea, and with salt in processes 

 demanding only a light salting ; with heavy salting they 

 are not required. 



6i. In studying this subject in England and Europe 

 I found various processes in existence of which one is 

 believed to have a large future in the food industry, 

 viz., the new Hislaire process discovered in Belgium and 

 patented for England by the " Universal Sterilization 

 Company " ; the system has high testimonials from 

 bacteriologists. According to this process meat, fish, 

 eggs, milk, etc., can be sterilized by thirty minutes 

 exposure to a vapour in a closed chamber, the vapour 

 being produced by pastilles of a secret formula. The 

 goods are absolutely indistinguishable in appearance, 

 taste, digestibility, and apparent wholesomeness from 

 untreated eoods, eesfs three month'^ old and meat several 

 weeks old being perfectly good, and eaten habitually 

 without the slightest ill effect. Several experiments in 

 fish were conducted by myself in July ; suffice it here to 

 say that while in each case the control fish went bad 

 in 24 to 2>^ hours, none of the treated fish, including 

 ungutted herring, went actually bad for weeks, while 

 several plaice were hanging up dry but tm^ai/ifed when 

 I left in November. I propose to try this method ; the 

 expense of a sterilizer and tabloids will be about ^25 

 delivered in Madras.* 



62. A process in which the sterilizing agent is 

 electrolysed sea-water presents the greatest promise and 

 has the extreme advantage that absolutely no chemical, 

 or substance is added to the sea-water as a preserva- 

 tive, and when the energized water has done its work 

 it reverts, ipso facto, but somewhat weakened, to its 

 original condition of plain sea-water. The process will 



* Not found successful in the experimental station unless slight brining 

 preceded exposure to the vapour. 



