The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1903-10-21
ANCIENT FISH CURES
MEDICINAL VIRTUES THAT USED TO
DECK THE FlNNY TRIBE.

Perch Wns Valued In Germany For
Its Curative Properties, and Carp
Mas Held In High Esteem la Old
EnIInnd-Ef Physicinn of Fishes.
and writings of lzaak Walton opens
up points of interest which are unique.
Not the least interesting are the con
slant references of the early writers to
the medicinal virtues of fish. OF course
many of The salt and fresh water fish
es mentioned by the old writer's are
not recognized i'll the waters of todays
but the fresh water perch, carp, teneh
and eel are yet recognized, and 1t Is In
connection with these fish that some
of the quantest ideas as to their me-
dicinal virtues have prevailed.
The Germans have n comparative
proyerb which says, "More wholesome
than a perch of the Rhine" and It Is
certain that from the earliest times
this familiar fish has been esteemed as
one of the best gastronomic produc-
tons of fresh water. 1t has also been
ascribed medicinal virtues. Gesner says
that physicians value the perch so
much that they recommend 1t to be
freely eaten by wounded men, women
in childbed and those suffering from
dangerous fevers. Aldroyandus praises
1t and mentions that the two otooliths
Ground bones') found in the head of
the perch are marvelously good for
stone In the bladder.
That the carp was esteemed In olden
times in England is certain. Dame
Berners, writing In her quaint Urea
tysec of Eysshynge Myth an Angle"
published in 1496, says. The carpe be
n deyntous fish, but there ben few In
Englonge." Being 'deyntous"-i. e.,
"dainty"-it must have been good fish
ut that time 10 eat. 1t has certainly
lost its character since then.
In the art of healing the carp plays
respectable part. One old writer speaks
of the fat of the carp as being of mi
raeulous power for the alienation Of
''hot rheumatism. The manner Of its
application was by frequent rubbing
on the painful part, and the effect was
said to be eminently notifying and
salutary. The triangular bones In the
throat of the carp on being ground to
powder and applied to wound or
bleeding nose were said to act as styp-
tic. The gall was also said to have
been used for sore eyes. and "above
the eyes" says an old ASsculapius,
two little bones exist, semicircular In
shape, which are diligently preserved
by noble females against the lunatical
disease"
In the Haven of Health" carp are
also comprised in "the ten sortes of
iische which are reckoned as principal
in the preservation OF health" and,
adds the quaint old writer, this fish
is of great wholesomeness and great
value, and its tongue is very pleasant
to carping ladies'"
\ kind of first cousin of the carp is
what is known as the barbel. Such
ancicnts as Juvenal. Albertus and 9TH
ers of that ilk evidence that 1t was
known and esteemed by the Roman
Soutilltt L lutuTtu lneuuouS CURIOUS
fact in its natural history. DIR. Bad
ham in his Prose Haleutics" trans
latcs this passage as follows: 1.-The roe
of the barbel is very poisonous. Anto-
MO GaZius took two boluscs and thus
describes his sensations; AT first felt
no Inconvenience. but some hours hay
Ing elapsed | began to be disagreeably
and as my stomach swelled
and could not be brought down by
lnise and carminatives l was soon In a
state OF great depression and DISTRESS
IL appears that his countenance was
pallid, like man in a swoon. Deadly
coldness ensued, and violent cholera
and vomiting came on. The barbel
lBarbus vulgaris) of today has survived
such poisonous qualities. Its flesh has
the taste of stewed white plotting pa
per, and its roe is as innocuous as
bread pills
All the same. good Julyana Berners
shared the bad opinion OF the earller
writer's. she says: The barbyfl il a
swete fish, but 1t Is quashy mete
aud peiylous for mannys hodge. For
coMS ny lac ynyth an Introduction to
n vnsua ~ xs,,..