THE OYSTER. 45 



that all should unite in protesting against its continu- 

 ance. This is the so-called " fattening " of oysters. 

 When oysters are removed from more saline water to 

 that which is less salt, they absorb water quickly, and 

 become plump, or " fat," but the fatness is nothing but 

 water. The " fattening " is usually carried on in the 

 mouths of rivers or in habors, which are always near 

 towns and polluted by sewage. 



Every " fattened " oyster is too suspicious to be eaten 

 raw, and the outbreaks of typhoid fever which have 

 been traced to oysters most clearly have been traced to 

 " fattened " oysters. All the fresh water that a " fat- 

 tened " oyster has absorbed is at once extracted by 

 cooking, so the " fattening " of oysters that are to be 

 cooked is not only an unnecessary expense, but a fraud 

 on the consumer, who is sold filthy water from the har- 

 bors of cities at the price of oysters. 



