3 1 8 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



bet by placing a dozen fresh oysters in twelve wine glasses, 

 and having swallowed the oysters, he washed down each 

 dozen with a glass of champagne. I should not have 

 mentioned this disgusting feat, but to add that he felt no 

 evil effects from the oysters, proving incontestably the 

 digestive and sanitary properties of this mollusc." 



There is a similar tale, showing equally the effects of 

 oysters on the human digestion. Four persons met one 

 Saturday night, at an hotel, and made the following bet : 

 each person was to call for whatever he might fancy, 

 either to eat or to drink, and he who kept longest awake 

 was to have no share in the liquidation of the bill. This 

 settled, one of the party made a private arrangement with 

 one of the waiters, promising him a reward if, in case of 

 his evincing the slightest drowsiness, he would bring him 

 forthwith twenty-five oysters. This was accordingly done ; 

 but the waiters had to be constantly relieved until 1 1 

 o'clock on the following Monday morning, when, observ- 

 ing his three companions quietly asleep, our oyster-eating 

 friend called for the landlord, and declared himself trium- 

 phantly the winner, attributing his good fortune entirely to 

 the oysters. 



Wise people eat oysters and eschew pills ; take lumps 

 of delight, instead of lumps of nausea ; uphold the Whit- 

 stables, Colchesters, and Miltons, and have nothing to do 

 with the Holloway's, Beecham's, and Cockle's. When 

 suffering from almost incurable indigestion, by taking 

 oysters daily they very soon find the most agreeable effects 

 on the human kitchen and laboratory ; its functions 

 become regular, without the use of strong medicines. 

 Depression of spirits and other disagreeable feelings con- 

 sequent on impaired digestion soon cease to affect them ; 

 headaches disappear, and the heretofore dyspeptic, sour, 



