he use of
water, for washing the fat before melting it, is not only omitted but
specially avoided. The parts of the process to which most importance is
attached are: First, the selection of fresh and perfectly sweet natural
fat, which is hung up and freely exposed to air and light. It thus
becomes dried and freed from an odor which is present in the freshly
slaughtered carcass. It is then carefully examined, and adhering
portions of flesh or membrane as far as possible removed; after which it
is cut up and passed through a machine in which it is mashed so as to
completely break up the membraneous vesicles in which the fat is
inclosed. The magma thus produced is put into a deep jacketed pan heated
by warm water, and the fat is melted at a temperature not exceeding
130 deg.F.

If the flare has been very effectually mashed, the fat may be easily
melted away from the membraneous matter at 120 deg.F., or even below that,
and no further continuance of the heat is required beyond what is
necessary for effecting a separation of the melted fat from the
membraneous or other suspended matter. Complete separation of all
suspended matter is obviously important, and therefore nitration seems
desirable, where practicable; which however is not on the large scale.

My experiments tend to indicate that the process just described is that
best adapted for the preparation of lard for use in pharmacy. There is,
however, a point connected with this or any other method of preparing
lard which is deserving of more attention than it has, I believe,
usually received, and that is, the source from which the flare has been
derived. Everybody knows how greatly the quality of pork depends upon
the manner in which the pig has been fed, and this applies to the fat as
well as other parts of the animal. Some time ago I had some pork
submitted to me for the expression of opinion upon it, which had a
decided fishy flavor, both in taste and smell. This flavor was present
in every part, fat and lean, and it is obvious that lard prepared from
that fat would not be fit for use in pharmacy. The pig had been
prescribed a fish diet. Barley meal would, no doubt, have produced a
better variety of lard.

* * * * *

ANTI-CORROSION PAINT.

The _Neueste Erfinderung_ describes an anti-corrosion paint for iron. It
states that if 10 per cent. of burnt magnesia, or even baryta, or
strontia, is mixed (cold) with ordinary linseed-o