Professor Barff gave last week, at the meeting of the
Society of Arts, a very interesting account of a new antiseptic, which will, according to the evidence, preserve animal or vegetable food perfectly fresh for many months together, so that no one who tastes it thus preserved is in the least aware that it is not quite fresh. This antiseptic is a compound of boracic acid with glycerine from which the water has been expelled, a compound which the Professor calls boroglyceride. It is as hard as ice at ordi- nary temperatures, but when warmed becomes partially fluid, and is then easily dissolved in hot water. Cream thus preserved has been sent all the way to Jamaica and to Zanzibar, arriving per- fectly fresh and sweet ; and oysters opened and preserved in the solution for many months were tasted by the audience, and pro- nounced as fresh as if they had been only just opened. The same result had been obtained with meat, fowl, fruits, and all sorts of food. If the boroglyceride is cheap enough,—and it seems to be very cheap,—it may revolutionise the price of food all over the world, and materially alter the distribution of the areas devoted to the production of food.
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