The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-07-24

How They Live and Their Medicinal and
Nutritive Properties.
Especial Correspondencs-l


thing about their life. habits or anato-
my or the reasons why this most useful
bivalye is accepted as q nerve restorer
and stomach tonic. As a matter Of fact,
so little has been written about CLAIMS
and so neglected has the natural history
of this mollusk been is is safe to state
that less is known about the life and
habits of the clam than of any other
food shellfish.
Two kinds of clans are popularity
known-the soft clam, which is also
called long clam and Nauninose, and
the hard clam, often called Little Neck
clam, from the excellent specimens Of
the species that are taken il cat dis
trict. But there are also severs.l species
of giant CLAIMS, notably the giant clam
of the Pacific-often weighing 0 to IA
pounds-the flesh of which is dried by
the northwestern Indian tribes and
forms a considerable factor in their win
ter food. This clam is somewhat like
the soft clam Of the Atlantic seaboard
in appearance, and its anatomy is pre-
cisely similar. Then there is that huge
East Indian shellfsh. enormously call
ed giant clam, whose shells often weigh
$50 pounds each and which are often
broken into pieces and used by some Of
the natives Of the Indian archipelago
for hatchet heads, spears etc.
These facts are interesting, but it
will be much more interesting and use
full to tell something of the life habits
and medicinal properties of the soft and
hard CLAIMS which now form SO impor-
tant a part III our fish food supply.
Nearly So, 600, 600 worth are consumed
in the United States each year, the
greater part Of which are taken on the
coasts of Massachusetts, Connecticut,
clam is much the more valuable.
Beginning at the birth of the clam,
we find that they are nearly all mono
sexular-that is, they have separate
sexes-while it not unfrequently hap
pens that many are found to be bisexu-
lar, having both sexes in the one ami
NAL Some investigators were Of the
impression that the latter were hermaph-
rodite and could not breed, but this
theory is wrong, and we know that the
bisexular clam is capable Of procreating
in precisely the same manner as do the
European or fiat oysters (Ostrea edulisl
which are all bisexular. in contradic-
tion to the American oyster (Ostrea
vinganicus) and the Portuguese oyster
(Cstrea elongata), which are monosexu-
lar
Every one who has eaten clam has
noticed the dark, tough, tubular part
that extends outside the shell Of the soft
clam to a considerable distance and is
also found in the more highly priced
hard clam. 1t is supposed by some that
this is the mouth or head, whereas the
mouth is situated at the extreme other
end Of the body within the she'll How
ever, this protuberance plays an impor-
tant part in the feeding Of the animal.
1t consists of two tubes incased in q
Loot CHI <--1,
est the hinge Of the she'll is called the
ex-current siphon, and the outside one
is the incurrent syphon- Their business
IS to draw water Containing food)
through the incurrent siphon, from
where it passes along the millions Of
hairylike ella that form the fringe
which surrounds the body. thence over
the gills, where the oxygen is taken in,
then around the mouth, which absorbs !
the microscopic food, and when these |
operations of filtration and absorption |
are completed the remainder of the wa
ter-deprived Of the food and oxygen
required for the sustenance of the little |
animals forced back into the sea I
through the ex-current siphon. The /
fringe or myriads of ella to which / |
have here referred have also an impor- |
tant bearing on this feeding process.
They are in constant motion, shaking \
or moving backward and forward, and /
thus, forming a kind of current on the \
water, add impetus to the suction which /
is used to draw the water into the in /
current siphon- The tough, semiconical /
piece of flesh which is seen upon OPEN
ing a clam has a use far different from /
that which is generally attributed to it.
1t IS the foot, is peculiarly muscular
and is used as a lever for opening and /
closing the shell, as an offensive and (
defensive power, in the same manner
that the foot or muscular little pieces
which are fonnd attaching the oyster at
the center of the body to each shell
serve to open and keep it closed
The juices of the clam, which are
kept pure by the filtering, feeding proc
ess which 1 have described have long
been recommended TO persons of weak
stOmachs, etc, but the reasons why this
juice Is 50 efiicacious is little known
As a matter of fact, the instinct of pres
ervatlon which enables the animal to
absorb only that which is nutritious is
really the cause why the flesh and juice
are such valuable food for the building
up Of the human system. The hypo-
phosphites are held III natural solution
in both the flesh and juice, and analysis
proving that the latter (the juice is al
most identical as TO its composition with 1
the gastric juice of the human stomach
it IS quite obvious why clam juice
should be a powerful restorative for
those whose stomachs and gastric juices
have been injured or depleted in eco
nomic value by excuses or illness.
For many years before the white
men visited the shores of New ENGLAND