Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-04

over the water. The stomach Of the oyster
is the bag which lies just behind the mouth
Its liver runs around the stomach, and this
liver is green or chocolate in color 1t has
lungs, which are like the gills OF fishes, and
it has heart, though 1t has no brains. The
liquor found in the she'll is the life blood OF
the oyster, and if 1t were not for this it is
said the oyster would die. You can tell
the age of an oyster by the shell, and the
layers upon this show the number OF years
it is old Some shells have been found
which were nine inches thick and some
scientists claim that there are oysters which
have lived 100 years.
Easi y Digested in the Raw State.
Raw oysters are the most easily digested
of all food, and this Is undoubtedly tho
most healthful way to eat them. If eaten
alive they digest themselves, and they act
as stimulant as we'll as food. They are
good for melancholy and they are the best
thing in the world for nervous troubles.
Patti is said to take one every night before
singing, and it was famous French physi-
clan, who lived far beyond four score, who
ate two dozen every morning and said that
they were the fountain of his strength. One
OF the greatest oyster meals on record was
lately eaten in London.
A man bet that he could eat twelve dozen
oysters, washed down with twelve glasses
of champagne, while the cathedral clock
was striking r. His bet was taken and he
won it by placing dozen fresh oysters in
12 wine glasses and beside these dozen
glasses of champagne. He swallowed the
oysters glass by glass and washed each down
with glass Of champagne and the story is
that the man is alive and hearty. Vinegar
should not be used with raw oysters and
the best thing to take with oysters Is beer.
Whisky, brandy, rum and other liquors
tougher the oyster like leather and make
it indlgestible. Raw oysters are eaten best
when they are first opened and in their own
liquor 1t is not well to eat them before
you 60 to bed, as they are stimulating in
their effects and may cause insomnia 1t
takes Just two hours and Is minutes for the
healthy stomach to digest raw oyster and
cooked oysters require considerably longer
time.
Something About Cooked Oysters.
Washington claims to be headquarters for
steamed oysters of the United States. There
is restaurant keeper there who invented
ismethod of cooking the oyster and you
can get the steamed oyster in perfection at
his place. A half peck is the smallest
order and this number is put into wire
basket and lowered into steamer where
they are left for few minutes and then
brought out and opened for the customers.
They are served with pepper, salt and
butter and are very delicious. A steam Of
this kind costs about % cents, and it is far
superior to the ordinary oyster stew or
oyster soup.
The oldest way of cooking an oyster on
record is that of famous fire eater of the
past, who said he was able to put live coal
on his tongue and raw oyster on top of
this. The coal was blown with the bellows
and it famed and sparkled until it cooked
the oyster. whereupon the fire eater ate 1t.
You will find this story in "Evelyn's
Memoirs" and the man lived in 1872. do
not vouch for the statement.
The Chinese have a curious way of eating
oysters. They like them dry. They first
boil the oysters and then dry them in the
sun until they look like mushrooms They
seldom eat raw oysters, and when they eat
their oysters fresh they sauce them with
ginger and vinegar The best way to stew
an oyster is in chatting dish, and an oyster
stew should never have water mixed with
it. Milk takes away the flavor of the
oysters, and the best sauce is their own
liquor. Apicius, the famous Roman epi-
cure, cooked oysters with pepper, the yolk
of an egg, vinegar, oil, wine and honey. and
this is said to have been a tavorite Roman
dish. The GASrRoNoME.