ON MAKING ISINGLASS. 515 



No. III. 



OF THE METHOD OF MAKING ISINGLASS IN 

 ICELAND, FROM THE SOUNDS OF COD AND 

 LING. P. 237. 



JL HE sounds of cod and ling bear general like- 

 ness to those of the Sturgeon kind of LinncEus 

 and Artedi, and are in general so well known, 

 as to require no particular description. The 

 Nexvfoundland and Iceland fishermen split open 

 the fish as soon as taken, and throw the back- 

 bones, with the sounds annexed, in a heap ; but 

 previous to putrefaction, the sounds are cut out, 

 washed from their slimes, and salted for use. 

 In cutting out the sounds, the parts between 

 the ribs are left behind, which are much the 

 best ; the Iceland fishermen are so sensible of 

 this, that they beat the bones upon a block with 

 a thick stick, till the Pockets, as they term 

 them, come out easily, and thus preserve the 

 sound entire. If the sounds have been cured 

 with salt, that must be dissolved by steeping 

 them in water, before they are prepared for 

 Isinglass. The fresh sound must then be laid 

 upon a block of wood, whose surface is a little 

 elliptical, to the end of which a small hair 



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