Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 November 1895 — Praise for the Oyster. [ARTICLE]

Praise for the Oyster.

An eminent French scientist has some very pleasant things to say of the oyster, and it is an agreeable thought that the anticipations of enjoyment with the beginning of the season will not be marred by fears of infection and disease. M. Chatin says that he has often pointed out richness of oysters in bromine, iodine and fluorine. Instead of being, as popular notions have It, a sea scavenger, the oyster is a very careful and dainty feeder, and as an article of food is so rich in phosphorus that it is of great value to persons who are in need of this substance. The Portuguese oysters are richest of all in phosphorus. Each of them contains very nearly one-twelfth of a grain of phosphorus. Ordinary oysters have about one-third of this amount. These mollusks are equally rich in Iron, their brown color being due to diatoms. A great number ot infusoria on which the oyster feeds are filled with these diatoms, which are so rich in iron that the ash from burning them is of a deep red color. M. Gautier remarked that all sea food is very rioh in phosphorus in the organic state. Thus cod liver oil contains phosphoglyceric acid, besides its alkaloid. M. Le Roy de Mericourt stated that he had a long time ago indicated the services rendered by oysters in the alimentation of perattacked with chronic diarrhoea in tropical countries.