48 



Again, one can hardly imagine a more revolting meal than 

 a salmon in the last stages of salmon disease. I should 

 not like to touch one only slightly affected. 



A fearful scourge of cholera is now devastating the upper 

 part of Egypt, and it seems to have had its origin among 

 that portion of the inhabitants who almost entirely subsist 

 upon a fish diet. 



A vivid picture of the waters from whence these fish are 

 procured appeared a short time ago in one of the illustrated 

 papers. 



The waters appear to have borne upon their surface one 

 vast mass of animal and human corruption. What must 

 be the condition of fish who for weeks and months have 

 been feeding on these festering abominations, and are even 

 encouraged by the native fishermen to feed on them for the 

 purpose of their capture ? What a hotbed for the develop- 

 ment of the worst kind of cholera the impure waters the 

 fish caught for human sustenance bloated with their carrion 

 food and all around one reeking mass of decay ! Why, 

 surely around Damietta death must have ridden on every 

 passing breeze. Is it not therefore more than likely that 

 the suggested cause of this fearful epidemic is the true one 

 a daily diet of fish, fed on putrescent food dried in the 

 sun, and many of these perhaps eaten before the sun had 

 scorched out their liability to putrefaction, if, indeed, any 

 amount of sun rays can render flesh from improperly fed 

 fish suitable for human food ? 



Have you ever heard that fish caught near a sewer 

 have an unpleasant flavour, and, if kept, will enter into 

 a state of putrefaction much sooner than those taken 

 further down ? I am assured of this by competent 

 authority, though I have not tried the experiment myself 

 (I don't regret to say). If this is the case, is it not a most 



