414 Mr Brown on the Mucilage of the Fiici. 



machine — macerate a day or two in water acidulated by 

 vitriol — wash well with cold water — boil some hours in three 

 or four times its own bulk of water — strain — evaporate the 

 decoction to a thickish ropy consistence — mix with bran (aut 

 cetera), and put up in cakes. These cakes, after being dried, 

 keep for any length of time, and may be given to cattle in the 

 same way as the linseed cakes: they may be broken and 

 mashed with warm water. 



The decoction may be evaporated to dryness, and dissemi- 

 nated in the form of cakes of mucilage ; or it might be dis- 

 pensed from the manufactory as " dreg"" is from the distilleries. 



I trust that this suggestion will prove useful when extended 

 by such as have the requisite opportunities of experimenting on 

 a large scale. 



The next proposal I have to make is, that the mucilage of 

 the fuci should be extracted in a comparatively pure form, and, 

 after conversion by prolonged boiling with sulphuric acid, sub- 

 stituted in commerce for the imported gum arabic of the acacia 

 tree. If this were to be carried into effect, the formula to be 

 adopted would just be a simplification of that which I have 

 given for the preparation of the principle in an entirely pure 

 -condition. If a manufactory of such gum were established, the 

 refuse, the cellular structure of the plants, might be appro- 

 priated to the feeding of sundry domestic animals, and the ma- 

 ceration liquor reserved for the sake of its saline contents. 

 (See page 412.) 



Gum procured in this way would serve all the purposes of 

 gum arabic, and, by reason of its cheapness, might be applied 

 to a host of others. How is it that gum is so little used as an 

 article of diet in this country, seeing its nutritious qualities are 

 so well attested by the fact, that the Moors of the Deserts sub- 

 sist on six ounces a-day for weeks together ? Why should so 

 many of our countrymen bear the signs of famine in their eyes, 

 and be continually exposed to temptation, to moral and political 

 defection, while treasures of such wholesome food lie scattered 

 in kind profusion on our shm-es ? 



