SEI'TKMUKR 14, ISSo.) 



SCIENCE. 



347 



weighing five pounds, also a leg of mutton 

 weighing four and one-half pounds, — being 

 first punctured in a luiMilicr of i)laees, espe- 

 cially in tlie neighboriiood of the bones, with 

 an iron skewer, — were [jlaeed in two gallons of 

 tiie viandine solution made up like the solution 

 of July 5. The li(iuid was in a stone jar, and 

 completely covered the meats. 



.Inly 20, the beef and mutton, which had 

 remained in the viandine solution thirty-six 

 hours, were removed, allowed to drain for two 

 minutes, and placed on plates in the labora- 

 tory. 



July 21, I was obliged to throw awaj* the 

 liver, the odor being ver^- offensive. The veal 

 had a disagreeable odor. A few mould-spots 

 were removed, which had appeared on the 

 steak. No odor, however, was perceptible. 

 The mutton-chops and fish also smelled fresh. 

 Placed steak and mutton in viandine solution 

 for one half-hour. 



July 24, it became necessar3- to throw away 

 the veal. Beef-steak, mutton-chops, mackerel, 

 roasting piece of beef, and leg of mutton ap- 

 peared fresh. 



July 2.'). the beef-steak and mutton-chops 

 snu'Ued slightly old. 



July 2(j, I had the remaining half of the 

 beef-steak which had been treated on July 5, 

 and the mutton-chops which had been treated 

 on July 7, cooked for dinner. No odor was 

 noticeable ; but the_v had a very high taste, so 

 much so as to be unpalatable, save to a starv- 

 ing man. The roasting piece of beef and the 

 leg of mutton smelled slightl3-. The mackerel 

 appeared and smelled fresh. 



July 27, the mackerel, which had remained 

 in the laboratorj' since July 5, was cooked for 

 breakfast. It was fresh and fairly good, like 

 mackerel that are served at the average hotel 

 table. There was no taste of boi'ax. The 

 roasting piece of beef was to be served for 

 dinner. On cooking, a very otfensivc odor was 

 given off. An e.xainination showed a small 

 l)iece near the bone that had become decayed. 

 The rest of the beef appeared good ; but pieces 

 cut fi'om dirt'crent |)arts all had a strong odor 

 of putrefaction. The mutton in the laboratory 

 had a perceptible odor. 



July 28, the mutton was cooked for dinner ; 

 but, when placed on the table, the odor was 

 so strong that I could not remain in the room. 

 The results obtained from the above ex- 

 l)eriuients seem to show, that pieces of meat 

 having large surfaces in comparison to their 

 tliickness, as steaks and chops, and also small 

 fish, can be kept a consideral)le length of time, 

 although with some deterioration in taste, 1)3- 



the use of the viandine brand of Hex magiuis. 

 In the case of larger pieces, such as a roasting 

 l)iece of beef, or leg of mutton, having tried 

 only two experiments, I do not care at this 

 time to speak positively. I can, however, 

 state, that I should have some hesitation in 

 again allowing to be cooked in the house large 

 pieces of beef and mutton that had been kept 

 in a warm room for ten days after treatment 

 with the solution of viandine. 



Leosakd p. Kixmcl'tt. 



Worcester free institute, July 28, 18S3. 



THE IGLOO OF THE INNUIT.^ — \. 



As the spi'ing wears on, and thawing 

 weather comes, the igloo falls into a decline ; 

 and when an exposed [dace can be found to 

 pitch the seal-skin tent, it is abandoned. 

 Before this can be found, however, the igloo 

 assumes a new combination phase, which must 

 be described. When several igloos have fallen 

 ill and buried their contents (the women, babies, 

 and puppies managing to wriggle out, and a 

 good share of the things being lost in the debris 

 of siiow-liaiiks) , the Innuit ceases to build anv 

 thing more than the walls of snow, using the 

 l)rospective tent for a roof; this being the same 

 as the autumn igloo, excepting the body, which 

 is of snow, and not of ice. This pliase of the 

 igloo is so well shown in the illustration on 

 the next page, taken from the German book of 

 a memiierof my |)arty, Mr. Klutschak, entitled 

 ' Ah Eskimo untcr den Eski7nos.' that I trans- 

 fci' it to this article. His sketch of our spring 

 isiloos was taken on Cape Ilerschel, King 

 AVilliam's L.and, on the Ifith of June, 1879, — 

 the day before we abandoned them for the 

 summer, and moved into tents. 



The tenacity of some igloos, however, before 

 they tumble in, is triil^- wonderful. They 

 always give ample warning by slowly sinking 

 on the top and side towards the sun or warm 

 wind ; and this the inhabitants counteract liy 

 thrusting a pole from the inside through the 

 dome at its most threatening point, and thei'e 

 firmly lashing several small cross-pieces to pre- 

 vent further sinking, which it will do if not too 

 warm, or some small dog with bone in mouth, 

 and pursued by a larger, does not take refuge 

 on top, as is their wont, — when the snow-dome, 

 dogs and all, come tumbling in on the heads 

 of the hyperboreans. Tlu; foot of thi.s pole 

 rests on the tloor, hardened by tramping, or a 

 board is put under it to give it support. I 

 have, however, seen a high-domed, abandoned 



■ Concludca fruni Nu. 31. 



