ON THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL & VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 41 



only propose to state the results, and terminate the series of experiments com- 

 menced by the former Committee appointed at the Liverpool Meeting in 1837, 

 as we consider them to have been now continued for a sufficient time to sup- 

 ply us with very considerable negative evidence upon the preserving powers 

 of the different materials taken separately. Upon receiving notice of our ap- 

 pointment, we determined that as no report upon these experiments had been 

 printed by the Association, it would be advisable to defer the commencement 

 of any new ones until after we had had an opportunity of giving a short state- 

 ment concerning those already in progress, but hope in the autumn of the pre- 

 sent year to commence a new series, in which it is proposed that vegetable 

 substances should occupy a more prominent place. 



The experiments to which this report refers were commenced in June 1838, 

 having thus continued for four years, and were made by placing in small glass 

 jars (5 inches by 2) solutions in water of the different substances unmixed, 

 but tried in three proportions, namely, (1) a saturated solution, (2) a solution 

 diluted with an equal quantity of water, and (3) with a double quantity. The 

 following are lists of them, arranged according to their value as preservatives 

 of animal substances. 



1. Good Preservatives. 



Subcarbonate of potash. 



Naphtha employed in the proportion of 1 part to 7 of water. 



2. Moderately good, but the specimens rather too soft. 

 Sulphate of magnesia. Arseniate of potash. 



3. Moderately good when examined in 1840, but the specimens now decom- 

 posed. 

 Alum. Sulphate of zinc. 



Muriate of ammonia. Bicarbonate of potash. 



Muriate of magnesia. Arsenious acid. 



Nitre. 



4. Quite useless for the purpose of Preservation. 

 Sulphate of iron. Nitrate of soda. 



Sulphate of copper. Muriate of barytes. 



Sulphate of soda. Muriate of lime. 



Sulphate of potash. Phosphate of soda. 



Carbonate of ammonia. Chloride of potash. 



Nitrate of barites. Oxalic acid. 



Nitrate of ammonia. Rough pyroligneous acid. 



Nitrate of strontian. 

 A few drops of kreosote in water is a good preservative, but stains the 

 specimens brown. 



Corrosive sublimate preserves perfectly, but hardens the substances too 

 much. 



Concentrated acetic acid decomposes the skin, bones, and cellular mem- 

 brane, but leaves the muscles untouched. 



The vegetable specimens are well preserved in oxalic acid, concentrated 

 acetic acid, naphtha and kreosote ; moderately well in muriate of ammonia, 

 nitrate of ammonia, and corrosive sublimate : none of the others appear to have 

 succeeded, nor indeed is the colour of the vegetables well preserved in any case, 

 and. on the whole the experiments with them are far from satisfactory. 



Charles C. Babington. 



