The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-01-06
AN(Ci EXT s., i:SIl CURES
MEDICINAL VIRTUES THAT USED TO
DECK The FiNNY TRIBE

OECh n: rlNlST !hIOC
.scrci W-ax Valued! Ia Germany For
its Curative :'!.ap"rtics, and Carp
ysus ;ic!:i Z: sii:,:, Esteem In OId
Eugiaad-g.:> Physician OF Fishes,
Fishing literature prior to the days
and writings OF IZaak Walton opens
I'D points OF interest which are unique.
Not tie Icas; Interesting are tie con-
slant references Of tie early writers to
the medicinal virtues of fish. OF course
many Of tic salt and fresh water fish
cs mentioned by the old writer's are
not recognized in the waters Of today,
but the fresh water perch, c@p, tench
and eel are get recognized, and 1t is in
connection with these fish that some
Of the Quaintest ideas as to their me-
dcinal virtues have prevailed.
The Germans have q comparative
proyerb w.lich 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
pluch that they rccom&end it to be
freely eaten by wounded men, women
In childbed and those suffering from
dangerous fevers. Aldrorandus praises
1t and mentions that the two otooliths
Ground bones') found in the head Of
the perch ore 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
3ysee Of Eysshynge Wyth an Angle"
published in 1906, says, "The carDe be
deyntous fish, but there ben few in
Englongc" Being "deyntous"-i. e.,
''dainty"-it must have been good fish
at that time to eat. 1t has certainly
lest it's 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
raculous power for the alleviation Of
"hot rheumatism" The manner Of It's
application was by frequent rubbing
on the painful part, and the effect was
said to be emiDently modifying 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
tie eyes," says an old -Esculapius,
two little bones exist, semicircular III
shape, which are diligently preserved
b. noble females against the lunatical
disease"
In the "Haven Of Health" carp are
also comprised in ''the ten sortes OF
Gsche which are reckoned as principal
in the preservation Of health and,
adds the quaint old writer, "this hsh
Is of great wholesomeness and great
value und its tongue IS very pleasant
to carpics ladies'"
A kind of first cousin Of the carp is
what is known rs the barbel. Such
ancients as Juvenal, Albertus and oth-
ers Of that iIk evidence that it was
known and esteemed by the Roman
gourmet. Plutarch mentions curious
fact in it's natural history. Dr.. Bad
ham in his Prose Ealeutics" trans
lntes this passage as follows: The roe
Of the barbel is very poisonous. Anto-
nio Gazius took two bo.uses and thus
describes his sensa tions: AT first felt
no Inconvenience, but some hours hay
ing elapsed began to be disagreea0ly
affected, and as my stomach swelled
and could not be brought down by
anise and carminatiyes was soon In
state Of great depression and distress. V
1t appears that his countcnance was
pallid, like man in swoon. Deadly
coldness ensued, and violent cholera
md vomiting came on. The barbel
(Barbus vulgaris) of today has survived
such poisonous qualities. Its flesh has
the taste of stewed white blotting pa
per, and its roe is as inEocrous as
bread pills.
All the same, good Julyana Berners
shared the bad opinion Of the earlier
writers. She says: The barbyll Is a
swete fish, but it IS quashy mete
and perylous for mannys bodye' For
.comynly he ynyth an introduction to
ye febris Geyer), 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 greenish carp which has been for
long time termed in England the ply
sician of fshes' According to score
or more Of authorities, ancient and
modern, the thick slime with which It
is covered eXerts healing effect on all
wounds or diseases in which 1t can
come IN contact on or in other fishes.
Whence this belief originated is not
known, hut one instance Of exact OBJ
servation is we'll worthy Of credence.
MI Wright in his book on "kishes and
Fishing" tells how q minnow acciden-
tally hooked in the water Of an aqua
rum In which 1t 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 It's
companion in the aquarium. 1t rub
bed its nose for a few seconds against
the tench and then again SWAN about
as lively as before. 10 this testlmo-
ny Mr. Wright adds: eve (my friend
and who were watching the perform
ance) were both Of the opinion that 1t
Is really no fable as to the tcnch being
the .T;sculapius of fishes, for here was
an example before Our eyes Of a fish
being wounded and Immediately In
stinct directing 1t to seek remedy.
One piscatorIal truth is known to all
who fish for pike or pickerel. The pike
(esoxlucius) will ravenously seize as
his prey the fry Of almost every fish,
including lis own species. and all the