Long  before  Liebig's  standard  scientific  experi-
ments respecting  flesh  and  its  preparation  as  food,
the  importance  of  flesh  for  nutriment  was  acknowl-
edged. Especially  the  French  physicians  and
chemists,  as  particularly  Parmentier  and  Proust,
with  affecting  words,  pointed  to  the  benefits  which


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evaporated  meat-broth  might  afford  the  sick,  partic-
ularly wounded  soldiers.  The  endeavors  of  these
noble  men  succeeded  in  causing  that  in  various
places  where  the  conditions  were  favorable,  experi-
ments should  be  made  to  introduce  this  new  branch
of  industry.  The  so-called  "  portable  soup,"  came
into  trade  in  the  form  of  cakes,  but  it  did  not  at
all  correspond  to  excited  expectations,  because  the
principles  of  the  preparation  were  defective.  The
price  also  was  much  too  dear.
First,  through  Liebig,  in  1847,  we  obtained  accu-
rate knowledge  of  the  elements  of  flesh,  and  thus,
too,  we  learned  the  reason  of  the  efficacy  of  meat-
broths.  Before  this,  there  was  another  view  re-
specting it,  but  one  which  proved  utterly  erroneous.
In  the  preparation  of  meat-broth  on  the  large  scale,
a  property  wholly  peculiar  was  soon  observed ;  the
existence  in  a  certain  concentration  produced  by
the  glue  which  by  the  continued  boiling  of  the  flesh
was  formed  of  the  tendonous  tissue  of  the  muscles.
This  substance  was  regarded  as  the  principal  vehi-
cle of  nutritiousness,  and  soon  they  wholly  ceased
to  prepare  the  "  portable  soup"  from  flesh,  as  the
tendons,  feet,  cartilage  and  bones,  else  almost
worthless,  afforded  a  much  better  jelly.  The  gain
for  the  manufacturers  was  at  the  same  time  much
greater,  but  the  consumer  fared  badly  by  it ;  instead
of  meat-soup,  he  bought  glue  that  differed  from  the
common  joining  glue  of  the  cabinet-makers  in  noth-
ing else  than  the  enormous  price.
