OBSERVATIONS ON MUSK. 
305 
That which is termed Tonquin or Chinese musk comes 
into the market only through the London trade, and by no 
other channel; although much of this is consumed in 
Russia, no bag being ever received via Kjachta, but always 
imported directly from London. These Chinese musk bags 
are found, on examination, invariably to have been opened, 
and more or less carefully glued together; sometimes in- 
deed the stitches are visible by which they are held to- 
gether. 
We have the assurance of Dyrssen, that during the many 
years he has been engaged in trade, although he has frequent- 
ly received quantities of from 100 to 200 oz. at a time 
from London, yet in no case whatever has he met with a 
bag which had not been opened, and closed with more or 
less ingenuity. He believes also that he has recognised the 
Siberian bags, although somewhat modified. Whether the 
Chinese musk, in its peculiar package, is received in that 
state at the English factory at Canton, as is most probably 
the case, or whether it is there made up, we are not in a 
position to state. Dr. Fr. Gobel relates, that in the year 
1825 he received through Jobst and Klein of Stuttgard, a 
Chinese musk bag, to which was adherent a portion of the 
skin attached to the belly; this Dr. Gobel opened in the 
presence of the eminent naturalist Oken, and it was repre- 
sented by Ratzeberg and Brandt in their description of offi- 
cinal animals, and of which Oken gave an account in his 
" Isis," and which appeared also in Kastner's "Archives." 
This bag, which the Dr. has still in his possession, was of 
the same form and in color and size of the hairs precisely 
similar to the Russian musk bag, with which he had an 
opportunity of comparing it whilst on a visit to Russia. 
The contents, however, of this musk bag differed materially, 
in their chemical and physical properties, from those of the 
pure Siberian musk bag. Buchner, in his "Repertory," 
has given a description of a musk bag, which coincides with 
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