Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-08-19
FISH AS FOOD.
The Proportion of Nutriment in Vari-
Gus Specimens.

Fish, with few exceptions, Is far be-
low meat in nutritive value in proper
ton to bulk, but the same elements
are contained i'm both. 1t is only nee
essary to eat enough fish to secure the
same amount of essentials. The nutri-
ents of the human body are protein,
fat and carbohydrates, Besides these
practically all foods contain a large
percentage of water and small per-
centage of mineral matter.
The fish containing the most nutri-
ment are Spanish mackerel, salt water
cells, salmon, shad roe, sailed mackerel,
sailed and dried cod, "boneless Goldfish"
Caviare, sailed, smoked and dried her.
but, and of the canned fish sardines,
salmon. fresh and salt mackerel, funny,
paddock, lobster, crab and shrimp.
Nearly all of these mentioned are
equivalent in nutritive value to an
equal amount of veal. California SAL
mon, No. sailed mackerel, caviare,
sailed, smoked and dried halibut, cam
ned sardines, canned salmon and can
ned salt mackerel ars equivalent to the
average of beef, veal and mutton.
Caviare, indeed, contains twice the
nutriment of almost all meats, and is
almost equal to side pork, which con-
tains the highest amount of nutrtive
elements of any meat. The large pro-
portion of the nCtrimeDt in pork, how
ever, it may be incidentally remarked,
is fat, 1T being the lowest in the scale
as regards protein, the most valuable
nutrient.
According to government publica-
tons based on Investigations made by
Professor w. o. Atwater and the New
Jersey fish commission, the percentage
Of actual nutrients in preserved fish is
much larger than in the corresponding
fresh fish, while canned fish, which in
effect is cooked fish, compares favor
ably with fresh fish.
Shellflsh resemble meat and food fish
in general composition. A quart of
oysters, roughly estimated, contains
about the same quantity of actual
nutritive substances as quart of milk
or thrce-fourths of a pound of beef, or
two pounds of fresh Goldfish, or a pound
of bread. Oysters come nearer to milk
than almost any other common food
material as regards both the amounts
end the relative proportions of nutri-
ents. Many oysters are "fattened"
after being taken from the beds, and
before being sold. by floating them
about forty-eight hours in fresh or
brackish water. BY this process the
oyster acquires plumpness and it's bulk
and weight are profitably increased.
Oystermen commonly believe that the
oyster by this process actually does be-
come fatter and gain in flavor. Care
ful experiments indicate that what the
fresh water actually does is to dis
solve salt from the tissues of the
oyster and distend them with water.
This increases the weight and reduces
the nutrtive material from one-eighth
to onc-fifth. Many consumers think the
Improvement in flavor compensates for
the decrease in nutritive value. The
fattening" also decreases the vitality
OF the oyster. Green oysters are not
injurious, as some suppose. This color
is due to the green plant life on which
oysters sometimes feed.
Experiments indicate that in the case
OF man fish and beef are about equally
digestible. and that salt fish is less
thoroughly digested than fresh fish.
Most Psychologists regard fish as a
particularly desirable food for persons
Of sedentary habits. The widespread
notion that fish contains a large pro-
portion of phosphorus, and is therefore
especially valuable as food for the
brain, is not accepted by many
psychologists. There is no experiment
tai evidence to warrant this assump-
ton.
There are several species of fish
which are actually poisonous, but few
of them are found in the United States.
ard the chances of their being offered
for sale are small. Fish may contain
parasites, some Of which are injurious
to man. Thorough cooking, however,
destroys these. To insure freedom from
ptomaine poisoning, care should be
taken to eat fish only when it is in per-