Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-26

as the strike went into effect. but there
IL one consoling fact about this condition,
the fish can be obtained when the meat
cannot.
Fish, with few exceptions. is far below
meat in nutritive value in proportion to
bulk. but the same elements are con-
tained in both. 1t is only necessary to
eat enough fish to secure the same
amount of essentials. The nutrients OF
the human body are proteine. fat and car
bohydrates. Besides tirese practically all
foods contain large percentage OF water
and small percentage of mineral mat
ter.
The fish containing the most nutriment
are Spanish mackerel. salt water cells.
salmon, shad roe, sailed mackerel sailed
and dried cod. "boneless goldfish" caviare.
salted, smoked and dried herring sailed,
smoked and dried halibut. and of the
canred fish sardines, salmon. fresh and
salt mackerel, funny. haddock. lobster.
crab and shrimp. Nearly all of these
mentioned are equivalent in nutritive
value to an equal amount of veal. Cali
eGrn cav salmon , No sailed ana Stsa
halibut. canned sardines. canned salmon
and canned salt mackerel are equivalent
to the average of beef. veal and mutton.
Cavtare, indeed, contains twice the nutri-
ment OF almost all meats. and is almost
equal to side pork which contains the
highest amount of nutritive elements OF
any meat. The large proportion OF the nu-
N,
cidentally remarked, is fat 1t being the
lowest in the scale as regards proteine. the
most valuable nutrient.
According to government publications
based on Investigations made by Prof w.
u Atwater and the New Jersey fish COM
mission, the percentage of actual nutri-
ents in preserved fish is much larger than
in the corresp onding fresh fish, while
canned fish. which in effect is cooked
fish. compares favorably with fresh fish.
Shellfish resemble meat and food fish in
general composition. A quart of oysters.
roughly estimated, contains about the
same quantity of actual nutritive SUBJ
stances as quart of milk. or three
fourth OF pound of beef. or two pounds
or fresh goldfish. or 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 ma
terial as regards both the amounts and
the relative proportions of nutrients.
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 in
creased Oystermen commonly believe
that the oyster by this process actually
does become fatter and gain in flavor
Careful 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 in
creases the weight and reduces the nu-
tritive material from one eighth to one
nth. Many consumers think the inn
provement in flavor compensates for tho
decrease in nutritive value. The "fatten-
Ing 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 some-
times feed.
Experiments indicate that in the case
or man fish and beef are about equally
dfgestfble, and that salt fish Is less thor
oughly dfgested than fresh fish Most
psychologists regard fish as a particularly
desirable food for persons of sedentarv
habits. The widespread notion that Ash
contains large proportion of phos-
phorus. and is therefore especially yalu-
able as food for the brain. is not accepted
by many Psychologists There is no ex-
perfmental evidence to warrant this as.
sumption.
There are several species of fish which
are actually poisonous but few of them
are found in the United States and the
chances of their being offered for sale
are small. Fish may contain parasites.
some of which are Injurious to man
thorough cooking however, destroya
these. To insure freedom from ptomaine
poisoning, care should be taken to ear
fsh only when IL is in perfectly good con-
ditfon. Fish which has been frozen ana
after thawing. kept for a time before ~
ls cooked Is especially likely to contain
ptomaines Canned fish should never be
allowed to remain long In the can after
opening. but should be used at once
oysters when "1oated," or 'fattena6"
should never be placed in water contami.
mated by sewage