NUTRITIVE POWERS OF FISH. 263 



Dr. Pereira, in his " Treatise on Food and Diet," 

 remarks " that the flesh of fish is less satisfying to the 

 appetite than the flesh of either quadrupeds or birds. 

 As it contains a larger proportion of water it is ob- 

 viously less nourishing. A fish diet, therefore, is less 

 substantial than either butchers' meat or poultry. 

 Medicinally we employ it, when the digestive powers 

 are unable to assimilate stronger kinds of aliments, or 

 when it is considered desirable to avoid the stimulus 

 which butchers' meat communicates to the system. 

 The jockeys who waste themselves at Newmarket, in 

 order to reduce their weight, are never allowed meat, 

 when fish can be obtained." 



Haller found himself weakened by a fish diet ; and 

 he states that persons are generally debilitated by Lent 

 diet. 



Mr. Bellamy, a surgeon at Plymouth, says, " I am 

 not aware that the continued use of fish, if consumed 

 in its healthful state, has any other influence on the 

 human body than that of somewhat reducing its mus- 

 cularity and vigour." 



Dr. Cullen, however, maintained that the nutritive 

 powers of fish are nearly, if not quite, equal to those of 

 meat ; and in support of his opinion he states that he 

 has known several instances of persons who felt no 

 weakness from a Lent diet, and he further observes 

 that there are several instances of villages inhabited 

 almost wholly by fishermen, and who, therefore, live 

 very much on this sort of aliment, but in whom no di- 

 minution of health or vigour appears. 



Subjoined is a short statement of the amount of 



