558 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
efiects upou the health ; it may, therefore, he taken to he perfectly harmless. The Norwegian herrings 
preserved with salt and horacic acid are of exceptionally line quality, are perfectly fresh when brought 
into the market, and are, of course, subject to the usual process of inspection by the market inspectors, 
Avhose power of rejection is almost absolute. If, nevertheless, an outcry is heard against their sale, it 
is difficult to resist the belief that it is dictated by the jealousy which is notoriously rife in Billings- 
gate circles. The introduction of cheap food from new sources, welcomed as it always is by the 
public, is invariably o^jposed by the trade, who, after all, reap the chief advantage in the long run. 
One has but to recall the sneers of the meat venders at American and Australian meat to value the 
agitation against Norway herrings at its x>roj)er worth. Hitherto, happily, we have been spared the 
bitter discussions which have on the Continent led to legislation against certain food preservatives, 
such as salicylic acid, which we in England admit without hesitation. The question is mainly one 
of public economy. Shall good food be wasted for want of a preservative, even if certain objections 
may be urged against their use, or shall we put up with these objections and aim at cheapening food 
for the masses, provided, always, that nothing which could injuriously affect their health is allowed 
to be present? A sufficient guaranty is afforded by the vigilance of medical officers, public analysts, 
and market inspectors against the abuse of antiseptics and food preservatives. 
On the other hand, a fish-dealer writes to the Fish Trades Gazette : 
Hundreds of barrels of herring from Norway out of one cargo were condemned, and there were 
about 1,500 barrels unsold lying in London at that time. France will not admit Swedish and Norwegian 
herring, nor any other fish cured by the process named. Many shopkeepers soon find out to their cost 
that once their customers have tasted herring cured with acid they don’t ask for them a second time. 
A combination of boracic and acetic acids for preserving food products was 
introduced in the United States in 1877 by 0. G. Am Ende, who thus describes his 
invention: 
The invention consists in compounding boracic acid, either in a liquid or pulverous state, with 
acetic acid, in the proportion of about one droi) of acetic acid to every ounce of boracic acid; but 
the luoportion may be varied, according to the nature of the substance to be preserved, and of the 
atmosphere to which the same is to be exposed. The acetic acid may be used more or less diluted. 
Other salts may be added to the mixture if desired. The composition is applied to the substances 
to bo preserved in substantially the manner in which preservatives are usually applied. The acetic 
acid in the composition prevents the formation of fungi, while the boracic acid prevents putrefaction 
chietly by hindering the formation of bacteria. (See Letters Patent No. 187079, dated February 6, 1877.) 
ROOSEN PROCESS. 
This process, invented by August Eoosen, of Hamburg, consists in placing the 
freshly caught fish in an air-tight barrel, and then forcing the preservative solution 
into the tissues of the fish by using a pressure of several atmospheres. The details 
of the iirocess are as follows: 
A strong cask of galvanized iron with an adjustable lid is provided. This resembles somewhat 
the well-known cans used for conveying milk, but is much larger. As many fresh fish as the cask will 
conveniently hold are placed therein, and the cask is filled with water and certain proportions of 
boracic acid and tartaric acid. The purpose of the tartaric acid is to neutralize the taste of the 
boracic acid, which, however, is quite harmless. The lid, fitted so as to be air-tight, is next adjusted 
and secured to the cask. A small force pump is connected with a hole in the lid, and additional 
quantities of a solution of the antiseptic in water are pumped into the cask, expelling all air, which 
escapes at a second hole in the lid. As soon as the cask is completely full and the air expelled, the 
liquid begins to flow through the second aperture. An air-tight cap is then screwed tightly over this 
hole to prevent further escape of the liquid. The pump is again set to work forcing in the mixture 
until a gauge fixed to the pump indicates a pressure of 90 pounds to the square inch. By means of a 
stopcock the opening is then closed and the air pump removed. The effect of the high pressure 
is to force the mixture into the veins and tissues of the fish and thus prevent organic change in any 
part. The fish are shipped in the cask, and it is stated that they will keep for any reasonable length 
of time in any climate. 
