THE OYSTER AND THE DOCTOR. 331 



Sprats . . . . . . . . 3 o 



Turbot . . . . . . . . 2 20 



Whitebait 3 o 



Whiting 3 o 



At the moment in which natural death ensues, all 

 animal matter begins to show its chemical affinities by 

 separating again into the elements of which it consists ; 

 and as at such times it is always more or less of a poisonous 

 nature, it is well to study the method by which it may be 

 known whether an oyster be living or dead when its 

 shell is opened. This can be seen at a glance. If the 

 muscle appears sunk, it is a proof that the animal was 

 living ; but if it appears higher and above the oyster, it 

 was dead before it was opened, and the animal is, conse- 

 quently, unwholesome and unfit for food. 



Having been frequently asked a variety of questions 

 concerning the taste of oysters, the best kinds to buy, how 

 to eat, what to avoid in the eating thereof, how many one 

 may eat, &c., &c., I deemed it my duty (in addition to the 

 valuable opinions scattered throughout these pages) to 

 answer these questions according to my own experience, 

 which is a wide one ; yet, strong as I felt the duty 

 to be, when I began w r riting this page, I had not sufficient 

 confidence to record either my epicurean experience, or to 

 place my opinions concerning the illustrious bivalve in 

 fellowship with those of the high authorities alluded to. 

 So then, in order not to shirk my duty, I adopted a medical 

 method of procedure to overcome my uncertainty ; that is, 

 I held a consultation, not with a medical practitioner, but 

 -with an oyster merchant. To be more explicit, I 

 resolved to write to one of the largest oyster firms in Lon- 

 don, and, stating my object, requested the manager to send 

 me ten different varieties of oysters those most in 



