On East Indian Isinglass. 



163 



practical interest in the subject during the season of 1839-40, 

 was Mr. G. T. F. Speed, who after our own operations had 

 created a stir amongst the fishermen, appeared for the first 

 time to have entered the market, if we might so express it, 

 as our rival; but whether Mr. Speed's experiment was of 

 such dimensions as to create any very serious impression in 

 the Home market, or to produce satisfactory and conclusive 

 results, or whether it would ever have been undertaken but 

 for our example, we cannot take upon ourselves to say. 

 Thus much, however, we have much pleasure in stating, that 

 Mr. Speed was, in our opinion, perfectly successful in ren- 

 dering his Isinglass as pure and free from fishy smell, and in 

 every way as neat, as Russian Isinglass. 



The opinions of brewers and brokers as to the quality of 

 the first investment were so unfavourable, that had they not 

 been in some respects directly opposed to what we had 

 ascertained before hand to be the properties of the article, 

 as well as contradictory among themselves, we should have 

 been disposed to abandon all hopes of the article. 



In October and November 1839, we were employed in an 

 investigation of different kinds of fishes yielding Isinglass 

 in the Hoogly, as well as the properties of the article as 

 afforded by different fishes. The following are the results 

 as regards the latter part of the subject : — 



Sort of Fish. 



Per cent. 

 Gelatine. 



Per cent. 

 Albumen. 



Quantity tried 

 of each. 





93.4 



6.6 



100 parts. 





86.7 



13.3 



100 „ 





87.0 



13.0 



100 „ 





67.0 



33.0 



100 „ 



From the above results we were satisfied, that the com- 

 plaints of the brokers and brewers of the large size, thick- 

 ness, &c. of the Indian Isinglass resulted from prejudice; 



