The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-10-30


Where do they meetf Who do they intend to
vote for? How m,ny Sons have been enrolled!
viii somebody : W us title light on this i'm
pOrtant subject?
I'm Eating Oysterss
The recen death of three or four of oul
most prominent citizens 70 \ eating diseased
oysters, as it is rumored, has crea ed quite q
panic throughout t e city, and, ss conse
quence, grea depression in the oyster bust
ness It would be unjus., hcwcve, to attri
butte their decease t. this particu ar art Gle OF
food, without proper investig ton and SO fal
as this has been m ,oe we learn that it has been
produced mostly by other c,uses. 1t is toe
often the case that what We has been eaten
last by the patient is set IOWA as the cause Of
the disease, and it so happened that every one
of the deceased persons al uded to had eaten oil
oy sters almost Immediately before they became
sick. Yet it appears that all o. these, or al
least majority, were suffer ng from diarrhea
before they had partaken of them, and it is
possible that the result might have been the
same if they had never eaten any While
therefore, a due regard to heath should render
us exceed ngly cautious about what we eat OF
drink, it is unreasonable to condemn without
proper inquiry, an article of food as un-
healthy, upon the sale of which large class
of persons are dependent for their sub
sistence. DR.. Chiltop, who has made careful
chemical examination of the principal kinds
sold in our markets, says that he feels no hest.
tation in stating i. his belief that the oysters
now brought fresh into the city and sold by the
respectable dealers, are as wholesome as at aay
other season. He adds, however, that it is not
unusual for oysters and other shell.fish, when
eaten after having BEN kept long during the
warm season, to lrsduce serious illness re-
sembling cholera, but no such iii effects would
be likely to arts when they are received fresh
from our waters.
While we are convin ed that the outcry
against this favorite edible is not wholly justi-
fed by facts, we would not advise the public to
indulge in the use Of # without some precau-
ton, now, or at any other tims A bad oyster,
eaten at any time, is liable to produce the most
serious sickness, and even death; but o little
caution will enable person 10 detect it at
once. 1t generally happens that oysters, when
kept several days out of water, and in warm
place, become tainted, in which condition
they are perhaps the most unhealthy food
that could be used. We have, however,
enough faith in our dealers to believe
that they would not dispose of them in this
state. The oysters are brought fresh to mar
ket almost every day, from the beds in the
East river, New York bay, and the surrounding
waters, and before they are sold are carefully
sorted by men employed for the purpose.
When the supply in the hands of the wholesale
dealers-who are generally owners of oyster
beds, or plantations, as they are called-is
greater than the demand, they are carried back
to the beds from which they have been taken,
to preserve their freshness. This, however,
very seldom occurs, as the demand is always
equal to the supply, which can b, met OF a
days notice at least. 1t has been said that the
largest proportion Of the oysters sold in this
city come direct from Virginia; but this is in.
correct, and particularly at this season, whea
they are all obtained from our own waters.
The Virginia oysters do not begin to arrive till
the middle of November, and the eason closes
about the LIST of April. The reason of this is
obvious; it is almost impossible to bring them
so long distance in the warm weather without
spelling" as it is termed, and no prudent
dealer would be willing to incur the
risk. Besides, the supply furnished by
the New York beds and those along the
Jersey shore is sufficient to meet the demand
during the summer months, which is not 80 great
as 10 the winter and spring. The oysters from
Princes ay are sometimes called Virginia oys-
ters but this ar ses fir I'm the fact of their having
been originally procured from the shores of that
State, and afterwards transplanted here. These,
however, are no more entitled to that name
than that those which are transplauted from
the North 10 the East rivec should be called
after the former.
We have said that large class of persons
are dependent upon the sale of oysters for
subsistence; and in proof of this it is only ne
cessary to state few facts in relation to the
business III, whole number of boats, of all
sizes, from fifty to two hundred tons, which
are engaged in the transportation of oysters to
our market, is estimated at about fifteen hur-
dred, ,chile the total value o. oysters annu-
ally sold in Weto York is Sc. do IN at 6et,ceen
fre and sir millions of dollars. Over fifty
thousand persons arr employed, either directly
or indirectly, in the business-the planting
Of oysters, their transportation to market,
their expectation, and The Wholesale and
retail trade. The persons engaged in
the retail business, by which we mean the
keepers Of saloons and restaurants, may be es-
timated at five thousand-and this is rather
under than over the number. Some of these
may vie with the wholesale dealers in the ex-
tent of their business, and one of those who
keeps from fifteen to twenty men constantly
employed in opening, sells about sixty thou
and day. One saloon on Broadway sells
over fifteen thousand daily in the form Of stews,