SNAILS. 643 
children, who with iron hooks search for them at the foot of 
thorn hedges, and under ivy, and, in winter, about old walls. 
If lucky, a good searcher will gather from one thousand to 
fifteen hundred Snails. The large white gasteropod is in special 
demand about Paris, whilst the garden and wood Snails are in 
common use among poorer consumers throughout all parts 
of France. In Paris the Fscargots (as Snails are called), 
being dried, are concocted into lozenges for a cough. To help 
weak eyes, in Hampshire Snails are made into a_ poultice 
with soaked bread-crusts. The glutinous constituent, “ helicin,” 
may be given in broths. Snails can be made into soup, or eaten 
a la huitre, with vinegar, and pepper, and salt. For soup, “ first 
wesh them, then put them into cold water quickly brought 
to the boil; remove the shells; add an equal part of well- 
flavoured vegetable stock, and directly it boils take out the 
Snails ; thicken the soup with flour, butter, salt, and pepper, 
to taste; then add the yolk cf an egg; boil up again; put back 
the Snails, and serve” (Zramps’ Handbook). Again, a recipe 
of Dr. Walser for curing chronic catarrh orders to “ take five 
garden Snails out of their shells, cut them up small, and put 
them into half a pint of veal broth in which a carrot has been 
boiled ; cover up, and let it stew until the Snails fall to the 
bottom ; strain through a sieve, and drink a teacupful daily. 
The broth will give ease against spasmodic coughing.” As a 
curious old recipe for “Syrrop of Snailes”: “‘ Putte House 
Snailes in a baskett, putte fennel in the bottom, middle, and top 
of them; cover them very close; lett them stand twenty-four 
hours ; wipe them very cleane with a coarse cloth ; prick them 
with a bodkin, and stop their mouths with Lisbon sugar; putt 
them in a sieve with their mouths downwards, and sprinkle a 
little rosewater all over them. Let them stand till the sugar 
is dissolved, and the syrup drops clear in a dish; take it off for 
present use without boyling. For to keep, putt it on the fire, 
lett it just boyl, scum it very clean, take it off, and keep it till 
the next day, then bottle it.” Dr. Yeo tells that “the edible 
Snail has been called ‘the poor man’s oyster.’” It may be 
eaten raw, with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Spenser, in his day, 
suggested this. 
Sweet syrups are still made from Apple Snails for colds, and 
sore throats, because of the emollient mucilage which they furnish 
with their special constituents, helicin, and limacin. Another 
