ON  THE  MEAT  BISCUIT  OF  GAIL  BORDEN. 
229 
In  carrying  out  this  invention,  the  patentee  takes  animal  flesh,  of  any 
kind  suitable  for  eating,  that  is  fat  and  in  good  condition  ;  and  in  order  to 
extract  all  its  nutritive  juices,  he  macerates  it  by  boiling  in  a  quantity  of 
water  until  all  its  nutritious  or  alimentary  properties  are  obtained  in  the 
decoction.  The  extract  or  decoction  is  filtered  through  strainers  of  wire- 
cloth,  and  further  defecated  by  settling  ;  after  which  it  is  reduced  by  evapo- 
ration to  about  the  consistency  of  thick  treacle.  The  evaporation  may  be 
effected  in  a  pan  or  tub,  with  a  steam-pipe  coiled  at  the  bottom,  or  by  the 
vacuum  process  employed  in  sugar  refining  ;  and  previous  to  and  during 
this  operation,  all  the  fat  or  oily  matter  that  rises  to  the  surface  is  to  be 
skimmed  off,  or  otherwise  removed.  The  animal  extract,  which  has  been 
reduced  to  the  above-mentioned  consistency,  is  mixed  with  flour,  farina, 
meal  or  pulverized  biscuit,  until  a  dough  is  formed  sufficiently  stiff  to  be 
rolled  into  a  convenient  form,  and  cut  into  pieces  by  a  common  biscuit 
machine.  By  mixing  the  flour  with  the  extract  in  a  hot  state,  the  dough 
is  rendered  stiffer  when  cold,  and  more  of  the  extract  is  combined  with  a 
given  quantity  of  flour,  which  may,  if  preferred,  be  kiln-dried.  The  dough 
is  desiccated  in  a  drying  chamber,  or  baked  in  a  kiln  or  oven.  The  heat 
employed  for  this  purpose  may  be  equal  to  that  of  an  ordinary  oven  after 
a  batch  of  bread  has  been  baked  in  it.  The  dough  should  be  baked  slowly, 
and  with  great  care,  until  it  attains  the  same  degree  of  dryness  as  the 
common  biscuits  or  cracknells.  The  biscuits  manufactured  in  this  manner 
may  be  ground  into  meal  for  greater  convenience  in  cooking,  and  may  be 
packed,  either  in  the  state  of  meal  or  unground,  in  air-tight  casks  or  cases, 
or  in  tight  bags  of  gutta  percha,  varnished  cloth,  or  other  material  that 
will  keep  out  air  and  moisture. 
To  make  soup,  the  biscuit  is  ground  or  pulverized,  and  stirred  into  suf- 
ficient cold  water  to  form  a  thin  batter,  which  is  allowed  to  stand  from 
five  to  twenty  minutes ;  and  then  it  is  added  to  boiling  water,  care  being 
taken  to  stir  frequently  during  the  process,  especially  before  it  boils.  The 
boiling  is  continued  from  ten  to  thirty  minutes,  according  to  the  fineness 
of  the  biscuit-meal,  until  it  is  dissolved  in  the  water ;  and  salt,  pepper,  and 
other  condiments  are  added,  to  suit  the  taste.  1  oz.  of  the  biscuit  will 
make  a  pint  of  soup.  Cooked  vegetables,  of  various  kinds,  may  be  used  in 
the  soup. 
It  is  stated  that  this  biscuit  is  not  liable  to  the  attacks  of  weevils  and 
other  insects,  to  which  ordinary  biscuits  and  most  descriptions  of  food  are 
subject.  It  is  entirely  free  from  oil  or  grease,  and  therefore  less  liable  to 
deterioration.  The  excellence  of  the  biscuit  depends  upon  the  quantity  of 
animal  nutritious  matter  employed  in  its  manufacture.  The  extract  should 
therefore  be  reduced,  by  the  process  of  evaporation,  to  about  one-eleventh 
of  the  weight  of  the  flesh,  including  its  proportion  of  bone  and  fat ;  this  is 
the  proportion  when  fat  and  well-conditioned  beef  is  used.  The  patentee 
mixes  about  2  parts  of  the  extract  with  3  parts  of  flour,  equal  to  5  parts  ; 
but  about  twenty  per  cent,  in  weight  of  this  is  lost  in  the  baking.  The 
