The St. Johns herald., 1895-05-16
A QUEER COMBINATION.
The Breakfast Of Founder After
 8 Night Out.
An Institution Of Uncertain Origin Yet Familiar to All 1Vaiters-Opinions of Physicians on the Try
 ing Mixture.

l men, mean, or dH all TOuDQ SOCldl 0A- ] perience, who have been unfortunate enough to stay too long with their | liquor once in awhile-and probably five of them will tell you what is meant ! by the term ''drunkard's breakfast. ' says the New York Herald.
 For the enlightenment of the sixth | member it may be explained that a
 many swell clubs and restaurants, con- l sists of a salt mackerel, boiled, not | broiled; dish of milk toast, and pot l of strong, hot tea. This is repast
 which is supposed to be peculiarly | adapted to the stomach of man who l permitted himself to be tempted to look
 too promiscuously upon the wine the
 night before.
 My wife's absence from home com
 pellcd ne to take my meals at the
 restaurants recently. For my first
 breakfast I went to one of the fine hotels in the immediate neighborhood. The restaurant was chilly, and that, added to a severe cold in my head,
 must have given watcry appearance to my eyes and a nervous tremor to my hand as I took seat and picked up bill of fare. An obsequious waiter stood at hand to receive my order. l
 ran over the list of meats a second
 time, pausing, mentally, midway 'twix
 steak and chop. The waiter, noting my indecision, but utterly mis- taking the spirit behind it all, stepped
 to my side and with perfect politeness said lief I may be permit, recon- men ze salt macl1erel, wis ze meelk
 toast and ze tea-ver' nice. It eez ze
 breakfast populair wis gentlemen after ze excitement of ze long night
 The fellow had actually recommend cd drunlzard's breakfast for my con- dition, although as a matter of fact I hadn't taken drink in 8 year and a half!
 CNext morning I went into another restaurant near by-not exactly first class place, but an extraordinarily good second-class one-where the busi- ness is enormous, the cooking excel. lent and the service generally satis- factory. My eyes were bloodshot and Uatery still, the result of a neuralgia attack. The waiter, a dccorous, hand some Gcrman-American, handed me the bill of fare, eyed me suSpiciously, but not rudcly, for an instant and then remarked in an undertone: "TIow would a nice salt maclkerel, boiled, plate of milk toast and pot of tea shit you this morning? That is what many of our patrons order for break fast after they have been out late Much better than cocktails, I assure you"
 There was no impcrtinence in the mans voice or manner. He didn't dream Of being intrusive. He merely thought he was doing me friendly service in suggesting a regular brac- ing ''drunkard's breakfast"
 The same suggestion will be offered in many frst-class restaurants to any man whose appearance or manner in any way excites the suspicion that he drank too much the night before. The hint is always offered politely and quietly. and only after the waiter has convinced himself that his purpose in making the suggestion will not be mis- understood.
 And thus, in some mysterious way, it has come to be believed among res taurant walters that for a man who has had long drinking bout the cor rect breakfast should consist of salt macllerel, milk toast and tea! It is an extraordinary combination, surely, and why it is peculiarly adapted to [I, from a spree is as mysterious as the identity of the genius who first pro- posed it.
 A popular physician who was spoken to with reference to this fad said: "Yes, I know what 'drunkard's breakfast is, but why any man suffer ing from over-indulgence in drink should eat such a meal is more than can tell. Salt mackerel is harsh, acrid, hot and irritating to an already con- gestcd stomach. 1 can think of no article of food more likely to increase the digestive disorders due to drink than salt mackerel."
 Another physician of long practice and wide observation said: Ut would be interesting to know how and with whom the 'drunkard's breakfast origi- mated. It is a ridiculous idea. None but normal stomach in healthy con- dition can digest salt mackerel with out discomfort, or at least unpleasant reminders of its presence. It is fish that am very fond of, but if I cat oi it even after drinking moderately it causes an attack of indigestion. My only theory of its supposed popularity as a breakfast dish for one who has taken drop too much is this: Its salti- ness excites thirst for great quantities of cold water, which is, in my opinion, | of real benefit to a stomach fevered with alcoholic irritation. It enables him to drink water copiously until the 1 stomach is cleaned and cooled, and the i alcohol in his tissues becomes so di- l luted that it is the moro easily elimi- ! mated from his system. As for it's ali mentary value in such cases, can't i see that it has any. The milk toast ! would be all right, but salt mackerel | and tea-what an insult and crime it | is to force them upon stomach al- 1 ready smarting and burning under the l