The Red Cloud chief., 1885-05-22
FISH As FOOD.
A Valuable and Cheap Article Of Nutri'
meos.

mens.
The many species that men consume
giving them = great variety Of flavor
and many degrees OF nolrishment. In
some parts Of the earth fish form the
chief s%ustenance Of the people. In the
frigid zone. fish are dried. ground to
powder. AMI converted into . substitute
for bread. Even putr.d ii.h forms the
ordinary food Of whole tribes Of men.
From the earliest period of mankind.
fish has been their common nouri IL
ment.
The flesh Of fish is less nutritious than
meat. and differs in the amoun Of
plastic and fatty matter they contain.
But generally We may say that they
contain seventy-tiye per Cent. of water.
fifteen per tent. Of heterogeneous
materials. The white fish. however.
contain, only three pr cent. OF fat and
eighteen Of plastic matter. Some are
not easily digestei in the human
stomach. Others dissolve readily. anu
enter and mingle easily in the %circula-
ton Of the blood. II may DO well for
the mother To know that some fish are
poisonous ut certain seasons Of the year.
and under the influence of certain kinds
of food. especially i'm hot and unhealthy
climates. They should not forget that
various articles of ordinary diet vary in
their influence upon the health and
comfort Of different children. Some
can not safely eat veal. or mutton. milk
nor strawberries. Shell fish (as lob,,er)
may induce cholera; in others u special
form Of nettle rash may appear; and in
still Others. nervous malaiies may
seemingly be caused by eating certain
kinds OF fish. Such cases are very rare.
and have been ascribed 81 the food ON
which some fishes live. and ~ the
i~diosyncrasy of persons 30 affected.
II fish do not Yield rs much nourish-
mcnt rs meat. still those who live
chiefly on this diet usually maintain II
healthy stat. of BODY. and discharge well
the usual iuties Of active life. Fish
eating children ultimately make healthy
and active mel and women.
We may lind il convenient tn form
two grades Of fishes. namely. those that
have white flesh and those that have
red. The former have a loosen texture
than the latter. and 80 are more easily
diges.ed. Among the white-hcshed fish
are the perch. haddOck. sole. cod. etc.
Their bodies usually contain bat a
small amount Of fat. such rs usually
accumnlates in the Goldfish and its rela-
tiyes, whose livcrs are ordinarily dis
tended with oil. White-coiored fish. on
an average. contain nearly eighteen per
cent. Of plastic matter. seventy-eight
per cent. of water and four per cent. OF
less. of fat.
The red-ficshcd fishes. a the mack
erel. herring. eels. salmon. ETC., are
distinguished by having fat mingled
with the flesh. especially in the part be-
low the belly. So the members oil this
second class are richer. nutritious.
but les>ea>y Of d se,tion. The salmon.
that prince of fishes. approaches meat
in color. and yields more no~urishmen.
than anv other member of the tiuny
tribe. The fat is mingled with the
tibers of the muscles. and also exists in
LAYERS Gir-c'ly beneath the skin. In
most fishes. the fat abounis in the belly
part more than in the back. SD that the
former are not so suitable for children
and weak s:omachS
The red ileshed fishes are more nu-
tritious. but harder Of digestoa than
the lean and white-meat"d n THIS
latter class. cooked W thout much fat.
are easily digestcd and ass;milated IN
the weakest stomach and ere partlcu-
larry suitable a. good for children
The flavor of fish depends in part
rpon the species TO which they belong.
and partly upon the food they eat and
the place in which they live. Those
that live in deep or quickly moving
waters with gravelly bottoms ar
swe.ter and more delicate than thos
that spend their DAYS ia shallow. slowE
moving wsicrs on muddy bottoms Ii
latter are not only l-ss nutritious Ia:
tougher. harder In digest and have N
earthly favor. We ought to repeat that
the fatty class Of fishes require more
digestive force than the lean. and 20
are no, proper for young children. b;
they msy be made more digrstblc "
adding to them when cooking . ih'Ie
vinegar. Ali fish should be bsaeaded
and cleaned "a soon ~ Caught H.
Allen. IN Western Rnroi.