No. 112.| -299 



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atine, more or ieso pure, only distinguished from bone gelatine by 

 its higher price." 



^' From 32Ibs. of lean beef, free from bones and fat (81bs. dry 

 meat and 241bs. of water), there is obtained lib. of true extract^ 

 of flesh, which, from its necessarily Tiigh price, can hardly become 

 an article off commerce, but if the experience of military surgeons 

 agrees with that of Parmentier, accordiog to whom '' the dried 

 extract of t^esh, as an article of provision in the train of a body of 

 troops, supplies to severely wounded, soldiers, a restorative^ or ro- 

 borant, which, with a little wine, immediately revives their 

 strength, exhausted by great loss of blood, and enables them to 

 bear the t^;ansportation to the nearest hospital,"* it appears to me- 

 to be a matter of conscience to recommend to the attention of 

 governments the proposal of Parmentier and of Proust. 



"Now that the composition of the extract of flesh is somewhat more 

 accurately known,it ought to be easy for every well informed apothe- 

 'Cary to distinguish the genuine from the false. Of the true ex- 

 tract, nearly eighty per cent is soluble in alcohol of eighty-fit. e 

 per cent, while the ordinary tablets of fX)rtable soup rarely yield 

 more than four or five per cent. The presence of kreatine ana 

 krektinine, the latter of which is instantly detected by the addi- 

 tion of chloride of zinc, to the akoholic solution, as well as the 

 nature of the salts left on incineration, which consists chiefly of 

 soluble phosphates, furnishes sufficient data for jadgingof the 

 quality-of the true extract of flesh." 



" I consider this extract of flesh as not less valuable for the 

 provisioning of ships and fortresses, in order to preserve the 

 'health of the crew or garrison, in those cases where fresh meat 

 and vegetables are wanting, and the people are supported by salt 

 meat." 



*'It is universally known, that in the salting of meat, tlie flesh 

 is rubbed and sprinkled with dry salt, and tliat where the salt, 

 and meat are in C(mtact, a brine is formed amounting in bulk to 

 ^ne-third of the fluid contained in the raw fl<'Sh." 



•• SffD Prouat, Annttlca de Cbiuiic ct dc PL^rbiquc, third uaics, Vol. 18. p. 177. 



