QUALITIES AND VIRTUES OF FISH. 89 



Are more delicious, such as perch and trout ; 

 Your mud-fish all incline you to the gout. 

 But those delighting in sweet scowers, refine 

 Their squammy sides, and clarify their line." 



We learn from the book of Tobias, vii 2, 3, that the 

 ray fish was burned, and the eggs of the fish are still burnt 

 as a medicine for intermitting fevers among the Greeks. 

 Harris, 408. 



Though we have here given a pretty numerous cata- 

 logue of finny recipes for human ailments, it is not alto- 

 gether out of our way to mention, that something good 

 has really come out of the use of fish as a healthful restora- 

 tive. When contrasted with the gross absurdity of many 

 of the prescriptions we have given, it is rather striking to 

 have to notice the very great advantages which have 

 recently been realized by the use of cod-liver oil. It is 

 more than sixty years since its valuable properties were 

 pointed out by Dr. Bardsley ; but it is only within the 

 last dozen years that the oil has been extensively used as 

 a most valuable medicine in consumptive cases. There is 

 an old doggrel on the value of the cod, which we have 

 found in a collection of Miscellanies, printed in 1689. It 

 is as follows : 



" Take the cod, and boil it well, 

 It a generous tale will tell ; 

 Add thereto of spice some grains, 

 You'll be relieved of all your pains." 



On the recent medical use of cod -liver oil, a late writer 

 has the following remarks : 



