456 



NATURE 



[February 7, 19 li 



(2) Refrigerating engineers have been in no sense 

 less typical, inasmuch as the methods employed are 

 scientifically sound, the machines of the leading manu- 

 facturers are thoroughly trustworthy, and the neces- 

 sary low temperatures for the transport and storage 

 of food haye been made a sound commercial proposi- 

 tion. 



(3) Refrigeration has played a most important part 

 in the development of some of our Colonies — particu- 

 larly Australia and New Zealand. 



(4) While the applied science of the engineer has 

 done much for the advance of cold storage, pure 

 science has in this country done little or nothing for 

 the commercial preservation of foodstuffs. 



The principal foods'tuffs at present cold-stored can be 

 roughly divided into three classes : — 



(i)" Produce the life-history of which is finished, such 

 as all classes of meats, poultry, rabbits, and fish. 



(2) Produce the life-history of -which is not finished, 

 such as fruit and eggs. 



(3) Milk and produce from milk — cream, butter, and 

 cheese. 



Ti has been found that with good rearing of sound 

 stock, combined with scientific methods of slaughter, 

 and a thorough system of veterinary inspection and 

 hygienic after-care, beef can be kept in the chilled 

 (soft or unfrozen) state for five or six weeks. This 

 time permits of a voyage from North or South America, 

 together with the time necessary for collecting the 

 cargo at one end and its distribution at the other— in 

 this country. This time allowance cuts out all possi- 

 bilities of a chilled beef trade with Australia or New 

 Zealand with low temperatures only. 



Then, with all classes of meats, poultr\', and rabbits, 

 certain troubles manifest themselves from time to time 

 • — such as mould. Often the troubles are epidemic and 

 caused by ignorance or carelessness prior to shipping, 

 while often only a small percentage of an overseas 

 consignment is affected and the source of trouble 

 cannot be found by the trader. 



Fish has been preserved in many ways, but it is 

 safe to say that refrigeration is destined to outrival, in 

 bulk, all other methods. Research work is urgently 

 needed in this direction, both with respect to meeting 

 periods of glut and for general preservation and trans- 

 port. The main questions to be determined are : — 



(i) What kinds of fish will stand preservation the 

 best? 



(2) What are good methods, and, if possible, the best 

 with each kind of fish? 



(3) Which seasons of the year are the best adapted 

 for each form of preservation? 



(4) What are the food values and general effect for 

 each method of preservation on the principal kinds of 

 fish? 



When the best methods have been determined, there 

 still remains the problem of educating the public taste. 

 In the British Isles the problem is mainly how to 

 get the fish to the markets in a fresh state. Cold- 

 storage methods will help this, but wider researches 

 are required for the fishermen who go far to sea, and 

 also for fish imported in a frozen state from our 

 Colonies. 



The preservation of both fruit and eggs, if properly 

 understood, would mean a great saving of wealth to 

 the country, and also better health. It seems 

 very doubtful if new-laid eggs will ever again be sold 

 in any part . pf the country at 6i. a dozen. With 

 respect to fruit, refrigeration has enabled this country 

 to enjoy a perpetual autumn ; but the methods that 

 enable Australian fruit. to be eaten in a sound condi- 

 tion in this country are not applied to home-grown 

 fruit. Whv? The fruit merchants of this country 

 have had to depend on the pure science of countries 



NO. 2519, VOL. 100] 



other than our own to help them to keep material the 

 life-history of which is- not finished. Fruit and' 

 vegetables offer an immense field for research. 



Milk and its products open up a still greater field. 

 Sterilisation as usually adopted hopelessly destroys its 

 structure, and, no doubt, correspondingly destroys its 

 food value. Common-sense deductions point to 

 mechanical milking into covered vessels, the whole to 

 be cooled down to 3° or 4° C. as soon as possible after 

 the milking operation, and then kept away from the 

 air until the time of consumption. Milk so treated and 

 kept cold will keep quite sound, with ordinary com- 

 mercial handling, for more than a week — theoretically, 

 it should last for months. 



The main questions may now well be asked : What 

 has stood in the way of scientific development in the 

 past, and what are the suggestions for the future? 



With respect to low-temperature work, the answer 

 to the first question can be readily divided into two 

 main reasons : — 



(i) The want of a bond or link between pure science 

 and industry. 



The present time is most opportune, and if the rhan 

 of science will only realise that laboratory results are 

 not by any means conclusive, he will find the man of 

 commerce will help him in researches of a practical 

 nature ; the net result will be more commerce and a 

 higher and better scientific knowledge. 



(2) The man of science has not had facilities in his 

 laboratory for low-temperature work. Many researches 

 stop short at the melting point of ice or a little below. 

 . Every seat of scientific learning should have a re- 

 frigerating apparatus as part of its equipment. No 

 research of any kind where temperature is a function 

 can be considered complete that does not go down 

 to the lowest limit reasonably attainable, yet how 

 many institutions are there where such investigations 

 are possible? The lack 'oi such facilities, in the light 

 of recent advances all over the world, will constitute 

 a serious disadvantage to our men of science, and the 

 question must be taken up by every scientific body in 

 the kingdom. 



The author suggests :— 



(i) That institutes of research and schools of re- 

 frigeration should be instituted in London and Liver- 

 pool. (This suggestion has been approved by the Cold 

 Storage and Ice Association.) These institutes would 

 be attached to learned institutions, and would act 

 as centres for research work and the higher 

 instruction of graduates (or others duly qualified) in 

 medicine, science, engineering, and veterinary science 

 from home and Colonial universities. They would 

 also keep definitely in touch with Government depart- 

 ments and associations Interested In low-temperature 

 work. 



(2) That every seat of scientific learning should pro- 

 vide facilities for low-temperature study and research. 



(3) That every engineering school of university rank 

 should provide facilities for refrigerating engineering 

 study and mechanical research. 



(4) That the principal technical colleges and schools 

 under the Board of Education should be provided with 

 facilities for instruction in mechanical refrigeration. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford. — The first election to a biological scholar- 

 ship under the beq lest of the late Mr. Christopher 

 Welch, of Wadham College, will take place In July 

 next. The scholarship is of the annual value of looL, 

 and is tenable for four years. Candidates must be 

 undergraduate members of the University; they may 

 offer either botany, animal physiology, or zoology, and 



