muscle of fish, did not diminish the specific gravity of crimped muscle, but the contrary: a proof that condensation had taken place.
A piece of cod-fish weighing twelve pounds, gained in weight, by crimping, two ounces avoirdupois; and another less vivacious piece, of fifteen pounds, gained one ounce and half.[1]
The hinder limb of a frog, having the skin stripped off, and weighing 77110 grains, was immersed in water at 54°, and suffered to remain nineteen hours, when it had become rigid, and weighed 10014 grains. The specific gravity of the contracted limb had increased, as in the crimped fish.
Six hundred and thirty grains weight of the subscapularis muscle of a calf, which had been killed two days from the 10th of January, was immersed in New River water at 45°. After ninety minutes, the muscle was contracted, and weighed in air 770 grains: it had also increased in specific gravity, but the quantity of air-bubbles formed in the intersticial spaces of the reticular membrane made it difficult to ascertain the degree.
Some of the smallest fasciculi of muscular fibres from the same veal, which had not been immersed in water, were placed on a glass plate, in the field of a powerful microscope, and a drop of water thrown over them, at the temperature of 54° the atmosphere in the room being 57°. They instantly began to contract, and became tortuous.
On confining the ends of another fibril with little weights of glass, it contracted two-thirds of its former length, by similar
- ↑ I am informed that the crimping of fresh water fishes requires hard water, or such as does not suit the purposes of washing with soap. This fact is substantiated by the practice of the London fishmongers, whose experience has taught them to employ pump water, or what is commonly called hard water.
