418 FISH 
general, are preferred for this purpofe, as being the mod 
tranfparent, flexible, delicate lubftances. Thefe confti- 
tute the fined forts of ifinglafs ; thofe called book and or¬ 
dinary Jt'aple, are made of the intedines, and probably of 
the peritonaeum, of.the filh. The belluga yields the 
greated quantity, as being the larged and mod plentiful 
filh in the Mufcovy rivers ; but the founds of all trefh- 
water filh yield, more or let’s, fine ifinglafs, particularly 
the fmaller forts, found in prodigious quantities in the 
Cafpian Sea, and feveral hundred miles beyond Adracan, 
in the Volga, Yaik, Don, and even as far as Siberia, 
where it is called kle or Ida by the natives, which implies 
a glutinous matter ; it is the bafis of the Ruffian glue, 
which is preferred to all other kinds for its drength. 
The founds, which yield the finer ifinglafs, confid of pa¬ 
rallel fibres, and are eafily rent longitudinally; but the 
ordinary forts are found compofed of double membranes, 
whofe fibres crofs each other obliquely, refembling the 
coats of a bladder : hence the former are more readily 
pervaded and divided with fubacid liquors ; but the lat¬ 
ter, through a peculiar kind of interwoven texture, are 
with great difficulty torn afunder, and long refid the 
power of the fame mendruu.m ; yet, when duly refolved, 
are found to aft with equal energy in clarifying liquors. 
“ Ifinglafs receives its did'erent fhapes in the following 
manner : (The parts of which it is compofed, particularly 
the founds, are taken from the fifli while fweet and fredi, 
flit open, walked from their flimy fordes, diveded of 
every thin membrane which envelopes the found, and 
then expofed to diffen a little in the air. In this date, 
they are formed into rolls about the thicknefs of a finger, 
and in length according to the intended fize of the daple : 
a thin membrane is generally felefted for the centre of 
the roll, round which the red are folded alternately, and 
about half an inch of each extremity of the roll is turned 
inwards. The due dimenfions being thus obtained, the 
two ends of what is called Jhort Jlaple are pinned together 
with a frnal 1 wooden peg; the middle of the roll is then 
preded a little downwards, which gives it the refemblance 
of a heart-diape ; and thus it is laid on boards, or hung 
up in the air to dry. The founds, which compofe the 
long-Jlaple, are longer than the former; but the operator 
lengthens this fort at pleafure, by interfolding the ends 
of one or more pieces of the found with each other. 
The extremities are faftened with a peg, like the former; 
but the middle part of the roll is bent more conliderably 
downwards; and, in order to preferve the (liape of the 
three obtufe angles thirs formed, a piece of round flick, 
about a quarter of an inch diameter, is fafiened in each 
angle with fmall wooden pegs, in the lame manner as 
the ends. In this date, it is permitted to dry long enough 
to retain its form, when the pegs and flicks are taken out, 
and the drying completed ; laftly, the pieces of ifinglafs 
are colligated in rows, by running packthread through 
the peg-holes, for convenience of package and exporta¬ 
tion. The membranes of the book fort, being thick and 
refractory, will not admit a fimilar formation with the 
preceding ; the pieces, therefore, after their Tides are 
folded inwardly, are bent in the centre, in (uch manner 
that the oppofite tides referable the cover of a book, 
from whence its name; a peg being run acrofs the mid¬ 
dle, fattens the Tides together, and thus it is dried like 
the former. This fort is interleaved, and tire pegs run 
acrofs the ends, the better to prevent its unfolding. That 
called cake-ifinglafs is formed of the bits and fragments of 
the ftaple forts, put into a flat metallic pan, with a very 
little water, and heated juft enough to make the parts co¬ 
here like a pancake when it is dried ; but frequently it is 
overheated, and fuch pieces, as before obferved, are ufe- 
lels in the.bufinefs of fining. Experience has taught the 
confumers to reject them. 
“ Ifinglafs is heft made in the fummer, as froft gives it 
a dilagreeable colour, deprives it of weight, and impairs 
its gelatinous principles: its falhionable forms are unne- 
ceffary, and fiequently injurious to its native qualities. 
ERY. 
It is common to find oily putrid matter, and exuvite of 
infefts, between the implicated membranes, which, 
through the inattention of the eellarnran, often contami¬ 
nate wines and malt-liquors in the a£t of clarification. 
Thefe peculiar fhapes might, probably, be introduced 
originally with a view to conceal and difguife the real 
fubftance of ifinglafs, and prelerve the monopoly ; but, 
as the mafk is now taken otF, it cannot be doubted to 
anfwer every purpofe more effectually in its native (fate, 
without any fubfequent manufacture whatever. 
“ If has long been a prevalent opinion, that fturgeon, 
on account of its cartilaginous nature, would yield great 
quantities of ifinglafs; but, on examination, no part of 
this filh, except tIre inner coat of the found, promifesthe 
leaf! fuccefs. This being full of rugae, adheres fo firmly 
to the external membrane, which is ufelel's, that the la¬ 
bour of feparating them fuperfedes the advantage. Tiie 
inteftines, however, which in the larger filh extend feveral 
yards in length, being cleanfed from their mucus, and 
dried, are found furprilingly ftrong and elaftic, refembling 
cords made with the inteftines of other animals, com¬ 
monly called cat-gut ; and, from fome trials, promife fu- 
perior advantages when applied to mechanic operations.’' 
But it fhouid be obferved, that ifinglafs, or vjblat , as 
it is called by the Ruffians about the Cafpian Sea, is made 
from all fpecies of fturgeon as well as from the hufo ; 
indeed it may be prepared from all frelh-water fifli, parti¬ 
cularly from the cod and ling, which bear a general like- 
nefs to the fturgeon ; but the very beft fort may be pro¬ 
cured from the ling. A fort iiot much inferior to that 
we buy from RulTia might be prepared from the thin 
membranous parts of mod of our Britifli fifli, if well 
waflied, feparated, foftenedpand carefully dried. This 
ought certainly to be attended to by us, as the price of 
it is fo much raifed to the brewers (who are the principal 
confumers of if) in time of war, and efpecially with 
Ruffia or any other northern powers; we might hereby 
have it very cheap, and without the confumption of any 
ufeful article, lince it would be only turning to account 
the very offal and refufe of the fifli-ftall and the kitchen.— 
For the method of preparing ifinglafs from the cod-filli, 
fee Gadus. 
Though the ufual methods of curing and pickling fifli 
are given under the generic names of the various kinds 
that are fubjected to this mode of prefervation for food ; 
yet a patent having been granted to Mr. Benjamin Bat- 
ley, of Streatham in Surrey, on the 20th of January, 
iSoi, for an improved method of curing all forts of fifli, 
we (hall here Itate the particulars of that method, from 
the words of the patent.—“ After fevering the heads; 
and taking out the entrails of the fifli, fait the body with 
bay or rock, or common, fait, in the calk, in the ufual 
way ; but the bay or rock fait is preferable, as the other 
is apt to abforb the pickle. In the next place, pack the 
fifli clofe in the calk, and fprinkle fait between the dif¬ 
ferent layers, with pickle fufficient to moiften the fame, 
Such pickle to be made of two pounds of bay fait, with 
from eight to twelve ounces of faltpetre, and from four 
to eight pounds of melafles, to fuit different palates, to 
be mixed in a gallon of fpring-water, if to be procured, 
and boil the lame till the whole of the ingredients are 
diffolved: river water may anfwer the purpofe, but 
fpring water is preferable. Then let the calks be pro¬ 
perly headed up, and coopered, with a cork-hole either 
in the centre or head of the calk, through wiii.ch may 
be poured a farther fupplv of pickle, for the prefervation 
of the fifli. The fame proportion of any fugar might be 
ufed as a fubftitute for the melafles, but the extra price 
probably would be conlidered as an impediment; and 
from two to three months lliould be allowed after curing, 
in erder to give the filh a full flavour. And with reflect 
to lliell filh, particularly oyfters, when taken from the 
lhells, they may be prel’erved either in kegs or barrels, 
with the fame kind of pickle ; and, if requifite, add one 
or two pounds of fait in addition to the pickle, as it may 
not 
