332 MEALS MEDICINAL. 
by its sugar. Bones are a common source of gelatin, but dog’s 
fed exclusively on ground bones have failed to survive; it being 
thus proved that gelatin alone cannot maintain life, and that 
plain jellies are not of themselves substantial food. Nevertheless, 
light animal jellies are of distinct service for the delicate invalid. 
Several varieties, such as hartshorn jelly, ivory jelly, sick room 
jelly (Francatelli’s), and brown bread jelly, are formulated in 
Kitchen Physic. Likewise, milk jelly, vaseline jelly, apple jelly, 
and meat jelly, are to be commended under varying bodily 
requirements. 
Isinglass is the purest form of commercial gelatin, the best 
being prepared from the sounds, or air bladders of fish, whilst 
that of a second rate quality is made from clean scraps of hide, 
from skins, hoofs and horns; also in Bengal from some seaweeds. 
There are “lyre,” “leaf,” and “ book” isinglass. When com- 
bined with brandy, isinglass makes an excellent cement for 
mending broken china. Isinglass of good quality contains 
osmazome, gelatin, and some salts of potash, soda, and lime. 
It is emollient, and demulcent, and serves as a useful subsidiary 
nutriment for the invalid, whether added to milk, broth, or 
made into a jelly. Boil an ounce of isinglass, and a dozen cloves, 
in a quart of water down to a pint, strain hot through a flannel 
bag on to two ounces of sugar candy, and flavour with a little 
angelica, or with two or three teaspoonfuls of some approved 
liqueur. For an isinglass jelly, to be given in dysentery, or 
chronic diarrhoea: dissolve one ounce of isinglass in a pint of 
water over the fire, add an ounce of white sugar, and a pint of 
good port wine, strain through muslin, and allow it toset. The 
old name Icthyocolla is derived from icthus, a fish, and kolla, 
glue. 
Strange as it may seem, a clear day is usually much better for 
making fruit jellies than a cloudy one, because the atmosphere 
afiects the boiling of the sugar. Blanc mange prepared now-a- 
days with milk and some starch such as of corn flour, so as when 
boiled, and having become cold, to form an opaque jelly, was 
originally a soup, composed of consommé of lean meat, with 
milk of almonds, and spiced with cinnamon, or cloves, or made 
from roast fowl, minced, and pounded, or veal treated in like 
manner. If properly supplied in our modern way, it should 
be a jelly prepared from calf’s foot, or gelatin, with milk of 
almonds. The word jelly was formerly gelly, as signifying 
