On East Indian Isinglass. 



169 



is completed, and the article is reduced to the form intend- 

 ed, a little fine chalk is to be dusted over it, which prevents 

 the soft pieces from adhering to each other. This if found 

 at all injurious, may be avoided by spreading the fresh Isin- 

 glass on cloths to dry at once, when the chalk would be 

 unnecessary. The only thing necessary to be guarded 

 against in using the chalk is, that when it is once applied to 

 the Isinglass, we cannot attempt to alter the form of the 

 latter by further pressure or manipulation, otherwise we 

 press the chalk into the soft surface, or even into the sub- 

 stance of the Isinglass, from which we cannot afterwards re- 

 move it by any subsequent process ; it thus destroys the 

 transparency and natural appearance of the article, without 

 however any injury to its properties ; for, as Dr. Royle re- 

 marks, the chalk will subside in solution. 



The greater part of the Isinglass we prepared during the 

 second year was in the shredded form, the rest was passed 

 between rollers. The first is the most expensive mode of 

 preparation. We had the shredding part of the process 

 done on contract at eight annas per seer. 



The sample submitted to Government, 17th February 

 J 841, for transmission to the Honorable Court of Directors, 

 consisting of 28 seers, both of the rolled and shredded sort, 

 and subsequently, as suggested in the letter of Government, 

 General Department, No. 324, under date 24th February, 

 I a second chest consisting of 33 seers of the shredded Isin- 

 \ glass was also submitted, for transmission to the India House. 

 ! In all 61 seers, instead of 46,* as stated by Dr. Royle, 

 i page 33, had been thus forwarded at the request of Lord 

 i Auckland, who evinced much interest in the subject. His 

 Lordship, however, conceived that it might be objectionable 

 j to allow a servant of Government to enter upon experiments 

 partaking so much of the character of speculations, upon 

 which we transferred our interest in the second year's ope- 



* Calcutta Journal of Natural History, 1842 ? page 93. 



