80 THE PRACTICAL FISHERMAN. 



that the barbel was not thought a great deal of by Juvenal, however 

 much Cryspinua esteemed it. Possibly Juvenal was but little'of a judge 

 n gastronomic affairs. I certainly think a barbel by no means des- 

 picable. Plutarch also mentions the fish to give an interesting observa- 

 tion on a peculiarity of its natural history. Barbel are, therefore, of 

 ancient pedigree. 



The ova or roe of barbel has enjoyed an unenviable notoriety for 

 poisonous qualities. Badham, in " Prose Haleutics," gives an instance of 

 its pernicious influence on the human economy. "Antonio Gazius," he 

 says, " took two boluses, and thus describes his sensations : ' At first 

 I felt no inconvenience, but some hours having elapsed, I began to be 

 disagreeably affected, and as my stomach swelled, and could not be 

 brought down again by anise or carminatives, I was soon in a state of 

 great depression and distress.' His countenance was pallid, like a man 

 in a swoon, deadly coldness ensued, violent cholera and vomiting came 

 after until the roe was passed, and then he became all right." 



Dame Julyana Berners also attributes bad qualities to the flesh. " The 

 Barbyl," she says, " is a swete fysshe, but it is a quasy mete, and 

 peryllous for mannys bodye. For comynly he ynyth an introduction to ye 

 Febris ; and yf he be eten rawe, he maye be cause of mannys dethe, 

 whyche has oft been scene." 



In explanation of the latter sentence, it may be observed that there is 

 reason to suppose that in former times the eating of uncooked fish and 

 flesh was customary. In the "Pictorial History" (vol. ii., p. 254) is a 

 picture of a perch placed in such a position as to lead one to suppose it 

 was intended to be eaten raw. In the " Governayle of Healthe," printed 

 by Caxton, the following occurs in reference to the eating of raw meat : 

 " For healthe of bodye cover for cold thy head, eat no raw meat ; take 

 good heede thereto." And it may be remembered that the custom is 

 forbidden in times more ancient still (vide Exodus, chap, xii., ver. 9). 



Now, in reference to this alleged poisonous quality of the barbel, I am 

 quite convinced that no such quality exists. I have eaten barbel cooked in 

 every conceivable way, and I have made a point of testing the roe on 

 frequent occasions, although I have never eaten the fish raw. Neverthe- 

 less, my cat has, and so, I am sorry to say, has my dog, who has a 

 particular but unnatural liking for raw fish ; and I have never observed 

 any prejudicial symptoms consequent in either. Possibly, in a few cases, 

 the fish out of condition may have been eaten, and possibly gastro- 

 intestinal inflammation, terminating in death, may have been induced in 

 the human being, and so the fabric of its assigned poisonous nature has 

 keen raised. I am persuaded, however, that barbel are as wholesome 

 as most other fresh-water fish. 



