HER′RING. A well-known small sea-fish, belonging to the family of Clupeidæ, a branch of the order Malacopterygii. As an article of food, herrings are of a vast importance to a large proportion of the population of Europe. When recently caught and dressed by broiling or boiling, they are wholesome and agreeable; but if fried, or long kept, they become strong and oily, and are then apt to offend the stomach. The preparation of salted and dried of smoked herrings (bloaters, red herrings) furnishes employment for thousands, both in these countries and Holland. Real Yarmouth bloaters and Dutch herrings are highly esteemed by many as a relish. Salted herrings are said to be diuretic. The pickle was formerly used in clysters, dropsies, &c. M. Soyer calls this fish “the poor man’s friend,” and tells us that, after being “cleaned and scaled, and the head removed,” it should be “opened in the back, and the gut taken out.” Also that “the way to ascertain if a herring is too salt is to take the fish in the left hand, and pull out a few of the fins from the back, and to taste them. You may thus find out the
quality and flavour. This plan is adopted by the large dealers.”
HESPER′IDIN. A peculiar substance obtained from the white portion of the rind of oranges, lemons, &c. It forms crystalline silky needles, is odourless, tasteless, fusible, soluble in alcohol and ether, less soluble in water. Hesperidin is a glucoside.
HIC′COUGH (hĭk′-ŭp). Syn. Hiccup; Singultus, L. A convulsive motion of the diaphragm and parts adjacent. The common causes are flatulency, indigestion, acidity, and worms. It may generally be removed by the exhibition of warm carminatives, cordials, cold water, weak spirits, camphor julep, or spirits of sal-volatile. A sudden fright or surprise will often produce the like effect. An instance is recorded of a delicate young lady that was troubled with hiccough for some months, and who was reduced to a state of extreme debility from the loss of sleep occasioned by it, that was cured by a fright, after medicines and topical applications had failed. A pinch of snuff, a glass of iced soda water, or an ice-cream, will also frequently remove this affection.
HI′ERA-PI′CRA. See Powder of Aloes and Canella.
HIP′POCRAS. An aromatic medicated wine, formerly much used in England, and still employed on the Continent.
Prep. Lisbon and Canary wine, of each 12 pints; cinnamon, 2 oz.; white canella, 1⁄2 oz.; cloves, mace, nutmeg, ginger, and galangal, or cardamoms, of each 1 dr.; bruise the spices, and digest them in the wine for three or four days; strain, and add of lump sugar, 21⁄2 lbs.
HIPPU′RIC ACID. HC9H8NO3. Syn. Acidum hippuricum, L. A compound discovered by Liebig in the urine of the horse, cow, and other graminivora, in which it exists as hippurate of potassium or sodium.
Prep. Concentrate fresh cow’s urine by a gentle heat to about 1⁄10th its bulk, filter from deposit, mix the liquid with excess of hydrochloric acid, and set it aside to crystallise. It may be decoloured by redissolving it in boiling water, and treating it with animal charcoal, or with a little chloride of lime along with some hydrochloric acid, and re-crystallising it.
Obs. Hippuric acid, when pure, forms long, slender, milk-white, square prisms; it is soluble in 400 parts of cold water; it also dissolves in hot alcohol. When strongly heated, it yields benzoic acid, benzoate of ammonia, and benzonitrile, with a coaly residue. The urine of horses or cows, left to itself for some time, or evaporated at a boiling temperature, yields not a trace of hippuric acid, but only benzoic acid. Nitric acid and hot oil of vitriol convert it into benzoic acid. Boiling hydrochloric acid converts it into benzoic acid and glycocoll. With the bases it forms salts, which are called hippurates. See Benzoic Acid.