FOSSIL FLOUR. 43 



they bruised it into a very fine powder, mixing 

 three parts with two of rice-powder, or, better, 

 the flour of wheat, to make small cakes, which 

 were seasoned with salt or sugar. Recourse was 

 only had to this in times of great want ; and that 

 being over, no one ever dreamed of making use 

 of it as an article of food. Those persons who 

 employed the fossil flour without mixing it with 

 vegetable meal, scarcely ever escaped death/ 3 

 " This mountain meal is principaUy composed of 

 the flinty coverings of the Namcula viridis, Gal- 

 lionella sulcata, and Gomphonema gemmatum, all 

 of which are to be found in a living state/ 3 



Dr. Carpenter, in his interesting work entitled 

 'Principles of Physiology/ whilst speaking of 

 fossil animalcules, says, "It is peculiarly inter- 



