gl4i LICHENS AS FOOD. 



Fleshy, or pulpy part ... 64 



Bitter part S 



Unknown part 33 



100 

 A new species The thirty-three parts consist of a nutritious matter, no^ 

 in boUin'g wa"^ soluble in cold water. The bitter principle is therefore sepa- 

 ter but not in rable from the rest by cold infusion of the pounded plant; and 

 ^^ ■ tie Icelanders follow a more saving method than the Laplanders, 



wiio throw away the decoction. 

 Experiment for The Professor boiled tiie farina of washed lichen with milk, 

 th?ck"^mi:k of ""^'^ '' '^PP^^'"^'^ ^o be sufficifntly cooked; and this, when sca- 

 the Icelanders soned with pepper and salt, was e.titled to a comparison with 

 v/ith hciien. j-jce, or millet, boiled in milk. It has a greenish colour, and is 

 a little acid : bat not more incompatible with habitual use 

 among the poor than many other country foods, whic^ those 

 who are not accustomed to them, would by no means consider 

 as dainties. 



Another dish was made by seasoning the preceding milk and 

 lichen with yolk of egg and sugar. It was much more plea- 

 sant, but certainly not superior in its nutritious qualities. 

 Great strength Th<^ decoction of this plant is of a light yellow color, and 

 decotmn^'"^"^ ha^ a slightly bitter taste. Its gelatinous quality is so predo- 

 minant that one pound of dry lichen affords, by boiling, about 

 eight pounds of liquid, which congeals by cooling. And as no 

 moic than one-third of the weight of the lichen enters into the 

 decoction^ the jelly itself is formed of one part of this peculiar 

 gum and twenty-three parts of water. Professor P, considers 

 thi^ as the only vegetable matter capable of rendering so large 

 a proportion of water gelatinous. 

 The water se- The jelly of lichen exhibits some peculiar properties. When 

 paraiesbystan- |^|-^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ y 5^^^, ^^ separate at the 



edges, however cool the place may be where it is kept. If 

 the plate be- inclined in different directions, the jelly breaks 

 with a facility much greater than is seen in animal jellies, or 

 even those of fruits; and in the cracks the quantity of water 

 increases, as if there were but little attraction between that 

 fldid and the jelly. 

 It is not at all During the boiling of the jelly this principle forms, at 

 .viscid. ^j^^ curiuce, transparent bulbs, which are renewed con- 



tinually when skimmed off; but these bulb^^ when again 



added 



