12 On the PyroUgncous Acid, 



of water. I presume that the principle of pickling vegetable, or 

 of salting or preserving animal matter, is to remove all the 

 aqueous portion, and to prevent any subsequent access to that 

 fluid. No decomposition is effected without water ; the separa- 

 tion of the elementary principles of vegetable and animal matter 

 is the combined result of the chemical agency of their constituent 

 particles and those of water ; if the vegetable matter, or the 

 animal fibre, be in contact with such substances as will not be 

 decomposed, or admit of the accession of water, then the animal 

 and vegetable matter will not be subjected to any destruction. 



Upon these principles I presume we mav explain why pure 

 acid, reduced by dilution with water, will not answer for pickling: 

 as the common vinegar of the shops will bear with advantage 

 an increase of strength, this is profitably effected by a propor- 

 tionate admixture with this acid. 



After troubling the Society with the above remarks, I shall 

 now beg leave to direct their attention to the more important 

 observations and experiments of Mr. Sockett. This gentleman, 

 having directed his attention to the smoking of hams with wood 

 smoke, either in a building erected for that purpose, or in a 

 chimney where wood alone is burned, in addition to its consider- 

 able increase of flavour, he considered it more effectually pre- 

 served from putrefaction by being, what is commonly called, 

 smoke-dried. Mr. S. having ascertained by experiments that 

 meat thus cured required less salt, he was induced to suppose 

 some antiseptic quality in the same, and not attributable to the 

 mere application of heat. A neighbouring manufactory of py- 

 roligneous acid afforded him an opportunity of trying a variety 

 of experiments, which convinced him of the correctness of the 

 supposition of the antiseptic quality of wood smoke, as the same 

 effects as to flavour and preservation were produced in a superior 

 degree without the aid of any increase of temperature, which by 

 drying diminishes the nutritious quality of meat thus exposed. 



Mr. S. ascertained that if a ham had the reduced quantity of 

 salt usually employed for smoke-di ied hams, and was then exposed 

 to smoke, putrefaction soon took place when pyroligneous acid 

 was not used ; ev( n one half this reduced portion of salt is suffi- 

 cient when it is used, being applied cold, and the ham is thus 

 effectually cured without any loss of weight, and retaining more 

 animal juices. 



The mode adopted was by mixing about two table spoonfuls 

 of the acid, the same as here sent, in the pickle for a ham of 10 

 or 12 lbs,; and when taken out of the pickle, previous to being 

 hung up, painted over with the acid by means of a brush. In 

 many instances, Mr. S. has succeeded by brushing the ham over 

 with the acid, without adding any to the pickle. The samciuode 



answers 



