LICHEN AS FOOD. 5i 1 3 



tenderness it is capable of, but does not take out its bitterness, 

 which requires a little longer time : but he remarks, that the 

 bitterness is not at all disagreeable; and that if its effects be 

 aperient, as Scopoli affirms, it would agree with many constitu- 

 tions. 



According to the judgment of several Americans, the boiled 

 lichen particularly resembles the fucus, which is called lucheat 

 Lima, of which so great a consumption is made along the whole 

 coast of Peru and Chili. 



As a pound of lichen afTovds three pounds of boiled vegeta- Observation to 

 ble, and these, when dried, are reduced to two-thirds of a ^^^^. ''^^"^ '^ 

 pound, it clearly follows, that two-thirds of this food, when solid nutri- 

 taken, consist of water. Mr. P. anticipates this as an objec- ment,notwiih- 

 tion which might probably be made against its nutritious qua- gre"at quanti^ty 

 lily. And to this he replies, that it is probable that water may of water ab- 

 be among the substances upon which the digestive faculties act, ^"'^^^^• 

 and which, by its decomposition, may serve as food. He refers, 

 in support of his arguments, to other articles in common use, 

 which are liable to the same objection, such as boiled potatoes ; 

 and he asks whether, since a dozen of the whites of eggs really 

 contain only one ounce of dried albumen, we are authorized to 

 conclude that a man, who should have dined upon this dozen 

 in an omlet, had not made a solid and satisfactory meal. 



The former part of the Professor's Memoir was confined to Chemical exa- 

 the domestic uses of the lichen. In his second part, he treats "''"^"o"'^^'^* 

 of its chemical examination. "'^ ^"' 



Many of our domestic plants are unfit to form a component jt afFords a 

 part of soups and other liquid foods; but the lichen is emi- nourishing 

 nently qualified for this use, its decoction being charged ^ith ""^"^ ^° ^^^i'* 

 nutritious matter. This soluble substance might, at first con- 

 sideration, be classed with the gums ; but it differs so conside- 

 rably from these that the author thinks it forms a particular 

 species, entitled to attentive examination. 



It was before observed that the lichen loses one-third of its Statement of- 



weight by boiling. But more strictly speaking, he informs us, "' i-^mediate 

 ,1 . C 1 1 /- 1 .. 1 ■ , parts as sepa- 



that one hundred parts of the lichen grossly powdered, afford, rated by water. 



by infusion in co!d water, three parts of the extractive bitter 

 principle; and after treatment with boiling water, the undis- 

 solved residue amounts to sixty-tour parts when dried. Con- 

 sequently the quintal of dry lichen consists of 



U .S Fleshy 



