200 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



the profuse bleeding from leech bites, which is simple and effectual. 

 The edges of the little wounds are drawn together with a fine needle 

 and thread. The thread being drawn through the cuticle only, 

 gives no pain, and the bleeding is at once suppressed. — Jour, der 

 Chir. Med. Jour. vi. 86. 



7. On the Preparation of Food from Bones. — This important sub- 

 ject has been long experimentally treated by M. D'Arcet, and has 

 been brought, before the public by the same philosopher, in a me- 

 moir published in the Annates de I' Industrie for 1829. It has been 

 abstracted by the Editors of the Annales de Chimie, from whose 

 account we take the following points. 



Bones require to be divided, under the point of view in question, 

 into two classes, those which are compact, fiat, or cylindrical, con- 

 taining but little fat, and which are sold at a high price to turners, 

 button-makers, comb-makers, &c, and those which remain after 

 this selection has been made, amongst which are included the 

 spongy heads of great bones, and the extremities of the flat ones. 

 The former class of bones having at all times their appointed uses 

 in trade, it is the latter which is to be resorted to for food. 



According to analysis, the latter bones contain per cent., earthy 

 matter 60, gelatine 30, fat 10. The heads of large bones contain 

 nearly 50 per cent, of fat. The bones of mutton and roast meat 

 often yield a rancid or tallowy fat, and should be reserved for 

 separate treatment. 



100 kilogrammes (220.6 lbs.) of bones contain 30 of gelatine; 

 10 grammes of gelatine are sufficient to animalize half a litre 

 (about a pint) of water, at least as much as is done in the best bouil- 

 lon of the kitchen ; therefore, 1 kilogramme of bones will prepare 30 

 bouillons of half a litre each, but 1 kilogramme of meat will only 

 yield 4 such bouillons : from which it follows that, for equal weights, 

 bones give to water seven and a half times as much animal matter 

 as meat. 



100 kilogrammes of butchers' meat contain about 20 of bones ; 

 the meat will make about 400 bouillons, but the bones would serve 

 to prepare 600, so that in extracting all the gelatine from the bones 

 of a given quantity of meat, 3 bouillons may be prepared with the 

 bones, whilst usually both bones and meat only afford 2. With the 

 bones contained in the meat consumed in the department of the 

 Seine only, there may be prepared 800,000 bouillons daily. 



The gelatine might be extracted by steam from the bones whilst 

 whole, but it is better to crush them ; but if this be done by suc- 

 cessive blows, they acquire a bad smell : they should be moistened, 

 and then crushed, if possible at once, either by channelled cylinders, 

 or under a heavy weight. In the small way masses of wood will 

 serve, being faced with channelled cast-iron plates. The pieces 

 requiring a second operation should be remoistened. The bones 

 should be used immediately after being broken, or else preserved in 

 fresh water, or better in water nearly saturated with salt, If the 



