BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 307 



The Koosen peocess of treserving fish.* — lu dispatch oSTo. 79 

 to the State Department, from the United States consuhite at Leith 

 (Ediuburgb), Scothiud, August 10, 1886, Consul Oscar Malmros spoke 

 of obtaining an equipment for preserving fish by the "Eoosen" process, 

 ■which was to be shipped to the Smithsonian Institution, and inclosed 

 an article from the Fish Trades Gazette, of London, July 31, 188G, from 

 which the following extract is made : 



The Eoosen process is now pretty well known in England, and it 

 is generally accepted as being by far the most successful attempt to 

 keep fish not only fresh, but also sweet, wholesome, and attractive for 

 long periods. The process, it may be added, is not confined to fish, but 

 has been applied with equal success to meat, game, fruit, &c. Experi- 

 ments have been carried out in Scotland, and public demonstrations of 

 the value of the process made in Edinburgh and Glasgow, where its 

 merits have been recognized bj' the very highest authorities on the 

 subjects of fishing and the fish trade. Messrs. Dufresne & Liiders, 

 the agents of Mr. August R. Eoosen, of Hamburg, the inventor of the 

 process, lately decided that it would be well to make the process better 

 known in London, and accordingly invited a number of representative 

 guests to witness the opening of several casks of fish preserved by the 

 Eoosen process, and to taste the same when cooked. There was an 

 excellent response to the invitation, the guests including many famous 

 authorities in science and in medicine, as well as others holding impor- 

 tant governmental i^ositious or being connected with commerce, not 

 only in England, but also in the colonies and Indian Empire. Two 

 casks, which had been closed for seventeen days, were opened before 

 this company, and the fish when taken out were found to be perfectly 

 sweet and fiesh, bright looking, and as attractive as the day they were 

 caught. On being eaten they were iironounced excellent, and tlie ad- 

 vantages of the ]>rocess were highly commended. 



It may be as well to give a brief description of the principles of the 

 now famous Eoosen process. For many years the value of boracic 

 acid has been recognized as a jjreservative agent, but it has been left 

 for a German scientist to discover how properly to apply it and rid it 

 of all obnoxious properties or efiects. This end is accomplished in the 

 following manner : A strong cask of iron with an adjustable lid is 

 provided, something like the well-known cans used for conveying milk, 

 but considerably larger. In this galvanized-iron barrel are placed a 

 certain i)roportion of water and a quantity of boracic and tartaric acid. 

 The latter chemical has the effect of removing the slightest taste of the 

 boracic acid, which, by the way, is perfectly harmless and even health- 

 giving. The fresh fish are then placed in the liquid, as many as the 

 cask will conveniently hold. The lid, whic^ is fitted with a large india- 

 rubber ring, so as to make it perfectly air and water tight, is now ad- 



* For previous articles ou this subject, see Fish Commission Bulletin for 1836, pp. 

 65 and 109. 



