The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-05-22
DOOM OF THE OYSTER.
A Medical Authority Condemns It
as Human Food.
The Bivalves Said to De Teeming
with Typhoid Baeilli and
Other GeFns-An Instance
In Proof.

The opinion of a celebrated writer on
medicinal subjects il that tho oyster
mus go if the hitherto consumer would
feel reasonably secure of his health.
The writer goes on to show that more
than 20 years ago, while he was pursu-
ing postgraduate course of study in
biology, he discovered that drop OF
oyster juice contained millions of
putrefacted bacteria. Since that
time he has never eaten an oys-
ter. His opinion is that q crea-
ture whose diet consists OF the
offal of the ocean, dining upon material
so filthy and noxious in character that
it requires unceasing activity of a liver
constituting nearly one-half of the bulk
of it's body to protect it from impending
death, can under no circumstances be
fit for use as human aliment. In the
article referred to it is shown how a
case of typhoid fever in the family of
the prince of Wales several years ago
was traced directly to the use of the
oyster as a food. The health officer of
Dublin about ten years ago traced an
epidemic of typhoid fever to the same
source. The British Medical Journal
has given much attention to this sub
ject and reaches the conclusion to which
nearly all psychologists have come,
that where shell fish have been sub
iccted to contamination those partak-
ing of such shell fish are exposed to the
grave danger of infection.
Two Or three years ago an epidemic
of typhoid fever in Wesleyan university
at Mddletown, Conn, was traced direct
ly to the use of oysters that had been
fattened at the mouth of drain, which
drain came from a house where n suf-
fcrer from typhoid fever had died. A
fact worth repeating In connection with
this incident is that among those stu
dents who eschewed raw oysters, eat
ing only those that had been thoroughly
cooked, there was no typhoid. Nearly
all those, however, who partook OF the
raw material suffered and several died.
In answer to the suggestion that un-
wholesome oysters can be prevented by
seeing to it that oyster beds are main
tained where there is no sewage, the
writer insists that to be successful oy-
ster beds must generally be located
about the mouths of rivers and near
some large city SO that contamination is
the rule, not the exception. The Ian
g,rage of the British Medical journal
In treating of this subject is:
"Tbe oyster is fond of typhoid bac!lli.
1t eats them as tidbit. 1t will not
miss a chance of swallowing millions
of the mischief making germs il the op-
rortunity is afforded and s1fch an op-
i>ortun;ty is sure to come to every oy-
ster that lives long enough. Indeed,
this is the very business for which ma
ture designed the oyster so it cannot te
censned for its activity in collecting
typhoid bacilli and other germs"
The conclusion of the whole matter as
drawn by the writer is that the only
safety is TO discard the oyster from our
bill Of fare altogether, that it may be
wholesome and proper food for cor
:norants, fish hawks and turkey buz-
zards, but that the human stomach was
never intended to be sepulcher Tor
scavengers no matter whether marine
or muudane.-Modern Medicine.