402 ANIMAL FOOD RESOURCES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS. 



flavour of their flesh being improved by feeding them 

 on beds of aromatic herbs. It is not only as a delicacy 

 that snails are so generally appreciated in France. They 

 also take high rank as a most nutritive food, and from 

 the time of the Romans downward have been regarded 

 as an excellent medicine in consumption and weakness 

 of the chest. According to Payen they contain 70 per 

 cent, of water, 16 per cent, of nitrogen, 1 per cent, of fat, 

 2 per cent, of salts, and 5 per cent, of undetermined 

 matter. 



M. Charles Mene gives the following analysis of the 

 edible snail, which is even more favourable : — 



Water 



Nitrogenous matter 

 Fatty substance ... 

 Nou-nitrogenouB ... 

 Salts 



72-747 



17,652 



1,125 



6,300 



2176 



Nitrogen 2-823. 



Doctor Ebrard,* who has made it the object of his 

 peculiar attention, declares that the weight of meat 

 represented by the snails sold amounts to that found on 

 cutting up a whole flock of calves and young heifers. 

 The doctor in his report enters largely into the mode of 

 preparation for the table. He is aware that he is tread- 

 ing on tender ground, — very tender ground indeed, — 

 and wishes, while the gourmand is enjoying the nutrition 

 which the snail affords, to make him forget,, as much as 

 possible, whence that nutrition proceeds. He recommends 

 that they should be boiled in the shell, baked in the 

 oven, and then chopped up with parsley and butter. 

 But, alas ! the first thing provided by the municipality 

 of Paris alarms us, and makes us pause before we pre- 

 cipitate ourselves upon this new gastronomic delight. 

 It is a superintending oflScer whose business it is to see 

 that the creatures are in a fit state to be served as food, 

 and to ascertain whether their digestive tubes are in 



* " Les Escargots, au point de vue de I'Alimentation," etc. 



