256 Mary Davies Swartz, 



ing, and bleaching it is to some extent used for making blanc mange 

 or a demulcent for coughs. Through the kindness of Dr. C. F. Lang- 

 worthy, Nutrition Expert, United States Department of Agriculture, 

 I have obtained the following interesting data concerning the use of 

 Irish moss, from the Journal of the South-Eastern Agricultural Col- 

 lege, Wye, Kent (1): "Professor D. Houston, of the Royal College of 

 Science, Dublin, has favored us with the following notes on this sub- 

 ject: 



Chondrus crispus (carrageen, or Irish moss) is a seaweed plentifully distributed 

 along our northern, western and southern coasts. It is gathered and sold to local 

 chemists, who retail it, in some parts at all events, at 6d. per pound. It is used by- 

 many people as an article of food in the west, and generally for colds, for which pur- 

 pose it is boiled in milk. 



Several of my students tell me that it is used for feeding weak calves and with 

 striking results, bringing about an alteration of condition within four days. One 

 student tells me that in one case at his own farm a batch of twelve calves took a 

 kind of wasting disease, and nine died; the other three on the verge of death were 

 given this plant, and all three recovered. It is prepared by putting one pound of 

 the "weed" in a net bag and boiling in a gallon of water. The water on coohng 

 sets to a jelly. The calves are given one glass of jelly in their milk each meal 

 and wonderful results are said to be obtained." 



The high proportion of mineral matter is noteworthy ;i but without 

 making a fuller investigation, it is impossible to say precisely wherein 

 lies the value of this seaweed. 



Purple laver {Porphyra laciniata), a source of Japanese amanori, 

 is found in abundance on the rocky shores of America and Europe 

 generally ; but it is not used in this country save sparingly by the Chi- 

 nese, who usually import it directly from China, and by some of the 

 Indians of our northwest coast. In Ireland it is known as 'sloak,' 

 and is boiled and served with butter, pepper, and vinegar as an ac- 

 companiment of cold meats, or is served with leeks and onions. 



Dulse {Rhodymenia palmata) is found abundantly on rocky shores 

 both in this country and in Ireland. It is very abundant in New 

 England, where it is rough-dried in the sun and eaten as a relish. In 

 Philadelphia it is called sea-kale and eaten as a vegetable. In Scot- 

 land it has long been used both in the fresh state and dried. In the 

 Scotch Highlands, "a dish of dulse boiled in milk is," it is said, "the 

 best of all vegetables." In Ireland, it is eaten with fish or boiled in 

 milk with rye flour. Purple dulse {I r idea edulis), which occurs on 

 the Pacific coast, is often eaten like Rhodymenia palmata. 



iCf. Analysis of Chondrus crispus, p. 254. 



