i 
re Fat of the Himalayan Bear—Ursus torquatus, Wagner. 
By Davip Hooper, 
Bear’s has enjoyed a considera)le reputation for several 
years in Knrope, where it has been used as a pomade for the hair. 
The article, however, sold under this name is chiefly made of animal 
and vegetable fats, without having any connection with the u:sine 
family. In India bear’s fa is sought after for its supposed medi- 
samp'e of the rn ‘obtained From Kangra was shown at the Punjab 
Exhibition in Lahore in 1864, and a specimen from the Kumaon 
Hills was sent to the Amst-rdam Exhibition in 1883. 
The fat of this animal is occasionally referred to by travellers. 
Dr. A. L, Adams ( Wanderings of a Naturalist in Iudin. Edinburgh, 
1867) alindes to the capture of a bear in Ka-hmir and ti e coliectionof 
a considerable quantity of grease. He observed that the external fat 
was always preferred to that of the interna! parts. It was noticed 
th»t the fat from the region of the kidney had a strong smell of 
urine which the shikaris said no refining would remove. Jn the 
Diary of an Intian Officer (1865) it is st: ted that the carcase 
of one animal afforded several bottles of grease * which the ladies 
found very acceptable.’ 
The fat is easily refined by heating the fatty tissne in a canl- 
in rendering lard from the leaf of a Pit and straining 
while hot through a cloth. Another method is t» «ut up the tis- 
sue into long strips, place them in a bottle till full, cork down and 
keep m the sun. The fat melts and rises to the surface like an 
oil, when it may be decanted. At whine S phasiae o it is 
almost white in colour and nearly solid. Bear’s grease is burnt in 
lamps by the poor, and is used for cleaning guns, but it is most 
appreciated medicinally as an emollient in danas and as @ 
healing ecmeeete to wounds. brnises and sores 
y availab sient mst of bear’s fat is one found in an 
article on ‘ + Hohe curious oils” by L. F. Kebler and G, R, Pancoast 
[ Proc. Amer. Pharm. Ass 7o0g4, 50, 362]. Is is described ax a 
pale vellow, es oily liquid at sammer heat, but s-lidifies 
in cold w er; having a peculi»r odour and a bland taste, It 
congenled ra 9° C., and had a specitic gravity of 0913 at 15°. It 
had an acid namber of 3-93, a saponification number equal to 203 4, 
and an iodine figure of ‘43. This fat was obtained bipe the 
lank: tee -af the United — but the cinnamon and grizzly 
bears often furnish the 
The two sasiplee eaadisie of which are recorded inthe present 
paper—were obtained from Mussoorie, in the United Provinces. 
No. 1 was purchased in the Landour bazar, and No. 2 was separated 
