New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1903-11-18

The Germans have a,comparatiye
proyerb which says, ''More wholesome
than 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. It has also been
ascribed medicinal virtues. Gesner says
that physicians value the perch so
much that they recommend it to be
freely eaten by wounded men, women
in chiidbed and those suffering from
dangerous fevers. Aldrovandus praises
It and mentions that the two otooliths
Ground bones'D 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 'srrea-
tysee of Eysshynge Myth an Angle, :"
published In 1496, says, ",The carpe be
deyntous fish, but there ben few in
Englonge." Being "deyntous"-i. e..
''dainty"-it must have been good fish
at that time to eat. It has certainly
lost its character since then.
In the art of healing the carp plays q
respectable part One old writer speaks
Of the fat Of the carp as being Of mi
raculous 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 modifying and
salutary. The triangular bones in the
throat Of the carp on being ground to
powder and applied to a wound or
bleeding nose were said to act as styp-
tic. The gall was also said to have
the eyes," says an old Hsculapius,
''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
fische 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 it's tongue is very pleasant
to carping ladies'"
A kind Of first cousin of the carp is
what is known as the barbel. Such
ancients as Juvenal, Albertus and 9TH
ers of that ilk evidence that it was
known and esteemed by the Roman
gourmet. Plutarch mentions a curious
fact in its natural history. DR.. Bad
ham in his prose Haleutics" trans
lates this passage as follows: "The roe
of the barbel is very poisonous. Anto
MO GaZius took two boluses and thus
describes his sensations AT first felt
no inconvenience, but some hours hav-
ing elapsed I began to be disagreeably
affected, and as my stomach swelled
and could not be brought down by
anise and carminatives I was soon in a
state of great depression and Distress ="
It appears that his countenance was
pallid, like a man in a swoon. Deadly
GOODNESS ensued, and violent cholera
and vomiting came on. The barbel
(Barbus vulgaris) Of today has survived
such poisonous qualities. Its flesh has
the taste Of stewed white blotting pa
PCA, duu AtS AoV 10 oo 1uAoSuouo 40
bread pills.
All the same, good Julyana Berners
shared the bad opinion of the earlier
writer's. She says: "The barbyl Is a
swete fish, but it Is quashy mete
and perylous for mannys bodye. For
comynly he ynyth an Introduction to
ye febris (fever), and If ye be eten
rave he may cause Of mannys dethe
whych hath often beene scene"
The tench which has been introduced
into some parts of this country is an
| olive greentsh carp which has been for
long time termed in England the ''phy-
stefan Of fishes" According to score
or more of authorities, ancient and
modern, the thick slime with which 1t
is covered exerts healing effect on all
wounds or diseases in which it can
| come III contact on or in other fishes.
Whence this belief originated is not
| known, but one instance Of exact OBJ
| servation is we'll worthy Of .credence.
| Mr.. Wright in his book on "Fishes and
Fishing" tells how minnow acciden-
tally hooked in the water Of an aqua
| rum in which it was swimming, on
breaking loose, Immediately descended
three parts of the way down the wa
ter and swiftly approached its nose to
the side of the tench which was its
| companion in the aquarium. 1t rub
bed it's nose for few seconds against
the tench and then again swan about
| as lively as before. To this testimo-
ny Mr.. Wright adds: ''We (my friend
and / who were watching the perform
ance) were both of the opinion that it
| is really no fable as to the tench being
the Hsculapius of fishes, for here was
an example before our eyes of fish
being wounded and Immediately In
Btfnct directing it to seek q remedy"
One piscatorial truth is known to all
| who fish for pike or pickerel. The pike
! (esoxlucius) will ravenously seize az
| his prey the fry of almost every fish,
| Including his own species. and all the
bait minnows are also cayiare to him,
but he will not touch the tench.-
Brooklyn Eagle.