SECTION VIII.-USES OF GELATINE AND 



GLUE 



GEL.ATINE and glue have both been put to an immense 

 variety of uses, and the list is constantly extending. Indeed, 

 no one who considers the following account of their applica- 

 tions can doubt that gelatine and glue have become a neces- 

 sary part of our civilization. 



Gelatine for edible purposes certainly forms a very 

 considerable part of the total used, and great pains are now 

 taken to obtain a pure product. Thus, a gelatine with more 

 than 1*4 parts per million of arsenic, or more than 30 parts 

 per million of copper, is not considered good enough for 

 "pure food." The food value of gelatine, compared with 

 other proteids, is exceedingly low ; its use in this connection 

 has no connection with the " calories " of heat energy it 

 will yield. It is used almost entirely because of its property 

 of forming a gel. Table jellies form, of course, one popular 

 use of gelatin, but the manufacture of sweets makes also 

 a great demand upon the gelatine trade. Culinary opera- 

 tions often require a little gelatine, especially is it used in 

 pies and soups. An extension of the same idea is found 

 in its employment for many manufactured foods, e.g. tinned 

 meats, meat extracts, and the concentrated foods. The use 

 of gelatine in connection with the first of these received a big 

 impetus during the war period. In gelatine for any of these 

 purposes, the presence of excess of sulphurous acid is 

 objectionable, as its taste is easily noticed. 



Gelatine for medicinal purposes finds an ever-growing 

 number of applications. Gelatine capsules for holding 

 greasy liquids and solutions of nauseous drugs are in- 

 creasingly popular, for the dose may be swallowed without 



