38      PROCESS  FOR  OBTAINING  AND  PURIFYING  GLYCERINE. 
The  properties  of  soothing  and  keeping  moist  the  skin  have 
caused  it  to  be  used  upon  chapped  hands  and  sun-burnt  faces.  It 
has  been  proposed  as  a  substitute  for  syrup  in  preserving  fruits. 
Mixed  with  alcohol  or  pyroxylic  spirit,  it  has  been  proposed  by 
Mr.  Warren  De  la  Rue,  as  an  economical  fuel  for  spirit  lamps. 
For  some  time  past,  in  Edinburgh  as  in  London,  it  has  been 
used  in  skin  diseases  ;  it  is  now  being  tried  in  some  cases  of  dis- 
seases  of  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  stomach. 
We  have  been  informed  that  in  the  preparation  of  several 
medicines  glycerine  may  be  substituted  for  syrup  or  sugar,  with 
the  effect  not  only  of  preserving  the  medicine  in  an  active  state 
and  free  from  change,  but  also  of  very  greatly  improving  its 
taste.  Griffith's  iron  mixture  has  been  mentioned  to  us  as  an  in- 
stance of  this. 
Glycerine  appears  to  give  the  means  of  preservation  of  some 
objects  of  natural  history  without  change  in  their  color.  This 
is  shown  by  the  specimens  of  fish  upon  the  table.  Our  first  ex- 
periment was  upon  a  brilliantly-colored  two  pound  trout,  caught 
in  one  of  the  Perthshire  lochs.  Immediately  on  taking  it  from 
the  water  I  poured  a  quantity  of  glycerine  over  it,  and  wrapped 
it  in  a  cloth.  At  night  the  fish  was  cleaned  and  immersed  in 
glycerine.  Next  day  it  was  again  wrapped  in  a  saturated  cloth. 
On  examining  it  a  day  or  two  afterwards  in  Edinburgh,  the  color 
on  the  scales  was  unchanged.  When  it  arrived  in  London,  part 
was  steeped  in  water  and  then  cooked.  Though  perfectly  fresh 
and  firm,  it  had  lost  almost  all  its  flavor;  the  uncooked  portion 
was  immersed  in  glycerine,  and  sent  to  Professor  Owen,  who 
suggested  that  the  brilliantly-tinted  fishes  of  the  Coral  Islands 
and  tropical  coasts  might  be  brought  home  in  kegs  of  glycerine. 
On  the  table  are  specimens  of  trout,  roach  and  perch,  which 
have  been,  the  trout  more  than  two  months,  the  perch  and  roach 
more  than  one  month,  in  their  bottles.  It  will  be  seen  that  the 
colors  continue  bright. 
I  may  now  state,  in  conclusion,  that  though  a  variety  of  uses, 
actual  and  possible,  for  pure  glycerine  have  been  mentioned,  yet 
when  we  consider  its  power  as  a  solvent,  and  at  the  same  time 
its  blandness,  and  freedom  from  all  irritant,  exciting,  acid,  and 
fermenting  properties,  we  must  feel  that  not  a  tithe  of  its  uses 
have  yet  been  developed  ;  and  that  in  glycerine  there  is  a  wide 
