Scientific Intellic/ence — Miscellaneous. 189 



reticulations in question, although already in a state of dissolution. 

 This seems to confirm the opinion of Messrs Erdmann and Mar- 

 chand, that these bodies are all formed in the fissures of the 

 diamond in which they are enclosed, and it tends to support the 

 notions which M. Liebig has expressed in his Organic Chemistry, 

 respecting the constitution of the diamond. — FromL'Institut., 21st 

 July 1842, p. 260. 



MISCELLAXEOU.S. 



27. Indian Isinglass. — Isinglass, as is well known, is manufactured 

 from the swimming-bladders or sounds of certain fish. Of these the 

 large sturgeon, caught in several rivers of Russia, furnishes the best, 

 or is the best prepared; selling by wliulesalc at 10s. to 12s. the 

 pound, whilst the Brazilian or North American only fetclies from 

 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6J., and there are inferior qualities realizing no 

 more than 9d. The value of this seemingly trifling article to Russia 

 may be inferred from the annual imports into England, which vary 

 from 1800 to 2000 hundredweight. 



After an occupation of Calcutta of more than a century, and a 

 territorial possession of Bengal of eighty years, an individual, 

 writing anonymously in a periodical, acquainted tlie Indian public 

 with the nov.l facts, not merely that the waters of India produced in 

 plenty fishes that would furnish isinglass, but that a trade in 

 this commodity had long been carried on (it turns out from time 

 immemorial) between the Indian fishermen and the Chinese, who, 

 not satisfied with the products of the Ganges, ransacked the whole 

 of the archipelago for parts of fish yielding isinglass, or a gelatinous 

 substance very much akin to it. They have extended their re- 

 searches even to Bombay ; whence upwards of 5000 hundredweight 

 of" shark fins and fish maws" were exported to China in 1837-38 ; 

 fish maws, thougli known by name, being quite unknown in their 

 nature till Dr lloyle, after great difiiculty, obtained specimens 

 through the house of Forbes and Co. " On examination, these 

 proved to be composed of a sack-like membrane, which had been 

 split open, of a light colour, and semi-transparent, resembling the 

 ordinary qualities of isinglass in appearance." It is also said 

 that the Chinese, after exporting the roughly-cured Ganges isin- 

 glass, refine some of it, and reimport it at a large profit. 



Attention has also been paid to the isinglass itself, specimens 

 of which have been forwarded to Europe, some prepared under 

 the inspection of Mr M'Cleland, of the Bengal medical service. 

 The less scientifically-prepared samples ^\erc valued at Is. Sd. 

 and 4s. per pound; that prepared under the inspection of Mr 

 MC'lrlaud^ ol' the Hcngal medical servif^e, produced Is. 7tl. ; Un; 



