72 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



the whole fishing industry would take a new lease of life. As a natural 

 result of the formation of large fishing stations, the refuse of the fish- 

 eries would be utilized for the formation of fertilizing agents, oils, &c., 

 and thus lead to a considerable increase in the annual value of the in- 

 dustry. There probably never has been a time when there was greater 

 necessity for energetic action being taken, and everything points to the 

 present time as being especially favorable for a new departure being 

 made in the development of our fisheries. 



My previous communications on this subject called forth a number of 

 letters. Some of the writers, naturally enough, were anxious to be as- 

 sured of the safety of the " chemical i)Owder " recommended, while others 

 contributed exceedingly valuable information. One writer endeavored 

 to point out not only that boracic acid was a poison, but also that it was 

 a cumulative poison. The all but universal creed of our fishermen is, 

 " What our fathers did, that shall we also do." This being so, the advice 

 to stand still is little needed ; and in this case it might have done in- 

 jmy had Professor Hay, of Aberdeen, not come to the rescue. On the 

 subject of the physiological action of salts we have few authorities 

 equal to Dr. Hay; hence, when he tells us that he is "satisfied that no 

 one needs fear any bad effects from the eating of fish j;) reserved by the 

 Norwegian method," we may consider the matter as settled. Dr. Hay 

 pointed out that 90 grains of boracic acid have been taken daily for 

 weeks without producing any bad effects, and, further, that in some 

 cases when from 30 to 50 grains were taken daily with the food, the 

 appetite and the weight increased, and the general nutrition was im- 

 proved. As a matter of fact, boracic acid is practically as safe as com- 

 mon salt, and the only evil likely to result from taking, say, half an 

 ounce of boracic acid, is a slight disturbance of digestion. I have known 

 men return from Norway in excellent health, who, in the absence of 

 other food, subsisted for months almost entirely on fish preserved in 

 boracic acid. If ninety grains of boracic acid can be taken daily with 

 impunity for weeks, and if half an ounce causes only slight indigestion, 

 there is little chance of any harm resulting from the small quantities 

 stored up in the tissues of fish preserved in a mixture of boracic acid 

 and salt. Professor Hay thought that in all probability only 2 or 3 

 grains would penetrate into the substance of a herring left from ten to 

 fourteen days in the mixture. This conjecture was verified by Mr. 

 Miller, of Wick, who found that herring preserved from the 2d to the 

 11th of February contained on an average 3 grains each of the acid. 

 Similar results were obtained by Dr. Aitken, who examined, at my 

 request, two herring which had lain in the acid and salt mixture 

 for three weeks. The two herring (which together weighed 279 grams) 

 were steeped in water and then boiled. The water in which thej were 

 steei^ed contained 0.36S gram of boracic acid, the boiled water con- 

 tained 0.591 gram of boracic acid, and the flesh when analyzed was found 



