Page:Peterson's Magazine 1862.pdf/348

 EDITOR'S

TABLE.

and are sold for five or eight pounds the ounce. But the EDITORIAL CHIT - CHAT. old Romans prized them, dull as they are, beyond any with THE PEARL AND ITS LOCALITIES .-The pearl, so long a which they were acquainted ; and the pearls from the mystery, assumed to be, now the production of the celes- famous fishery in the river Irt commanded the best prices tial dew, now the eggs and now an excrescence in the flesh from the Roman jewelers. The British pearls are from the of the oyster, still retains something of its old undiscover- mussel, not the oyster; as are also the Bohemian, which ableness, though generally believed to be caused by some are likewise deficient in brilliancy and " orient." Pearls foreign body in the shell, whereby the fish is irritated, and are sometimes colored-black, and pink, and roseate, and e layers of nacreous withthis the offender coats over successiv so govern- bluish-gray, and pale yellow; but, though valuable in progot the theory, Linnæus, believing matter. portion to their rarity, they are surely not so beautiful as ment of Sweden to give him over two thousand dollars, and the true or typical pearl, the emblem of purity, chastity, leave to teaze the fresh-water mussel (pearl-bearing) at his and all feminine virtues - the lily among gems-the moonwill. He did so, and produced pearls; but far dearer than light where the opal is the star, the colored gems the the natural ones naturally obtained. And the Chinese, streaming meteors, and the lordly diamond the living cenever clever in cheating, do the same kind of thing with tral sun! It was Pompey who brought the taste for pearls their pearl-oysters, and do actually get false pearls, not into Europe, and it was Catherine de Medicis, and her rival nearly so good as the true. Pearls do not appear naturally Diana de Poitiers, who carried it to its height : as did Louis until the fourth year, and when got are found to be nothing XIV. the taste for diamonds, and the impoverished purses but carbonate of lime and gelatine. A little carbonate of of the Restoration that for the lovely bit ofgypsum known lime and gelatine, in successive concentric layers like an as satin-stone. Pearls are religious emblems as well as onion, the whole soul of the peerless pearl ! Pearl-fisheries fashionable favorites : in the New Jerusalem each of the are of great antiquity, and those at Ceylon were the most twelve doors was one sole pearl ; and a pearl was one ofthe famous. The Red Sea had once a large trade in the pearl- sacred gems of the ephod; while in the Hindu mythology fisheries ; but the yield was exhausted centuries ago. The pearls play almost as important a part as flowers, none of chief fishing-grounds at the present day are on the coasts the gods or goddesses being depicted without a profuse emof Coromandel and Algeria, Ceylon and the Sooloo Islands. bellishment of these gems, and those more rightfully called The finest pearls come from Bahrein, whence the best are precious stones. Indeed, precious stones are incorporated sent to Europe, and the smallest to China, where they are into all religions, and made to represent the noblest meanThe fishing-season sold for medicinal byinweight of April, andings and the divinest attributes ; while savage and civilized and lastspurposes. till the middle begins February nations alike hold them as among the most precious ciris managed with great circumstance of care and guardian- cumstances of human life. ship. Nevertheless there are often fatal accidents from sharks, notwithstanding the confidence of the shark-doctors SALADS AND SUMMER SOURS.-The Journal of Health says and the credulity of the divers. A good diver will remain that physiological research establishes the fact, that acids from four to six minutes under water, but the average time promote the separation ofthe bile from the blood, which is is two minutes and a half. They stuff their ears with cotthen passed from the system, thus preventing fevers, the ton-wool moistened with oil, and drop a little oil into their All fevers are "bilious," mouth and nostrils also. They are bred to the trade from prevailing diseases of summer. Whatever is antagonistic is, the bile is in the blood. infancy, and live in it to quite old age ; so that it is not un- that of fever is cooling. It is a common saying that fruits are healthy though perilous. When the oysters are brought "cooling," and also berries of every description ; it is beup, they are all thrown into a mass together, and left there cause the acidity which they contain aids in separating the for days to decay, so that the gem may be the more easily bile from the blood-that is, aids in purifying the blood. detached: a disgusting process, and one at which the very Hence the great yearning for greens, and lettuce, and imagination revolts. If left too long in this foul putrid salads in the early spring, these being eaten with vinegar ; mass, the pearls become yellow, and lose their purity of hence, also, the taste for something sour, for lemonades, on shine and color. When detached, they are shaken through an attack of fever. But, this being the case, it is easy to sieves of successive fineness, those with the largest inter- see that we nullify the good effect of fruit and berries in stices stopping only the largest pearls. and so on through proportion as we eat them with sugar, or even with sweet all the ten sizes down to the small grains called seed-pearls, milk or cream. Ifwe eat them in their natural state, fresh, which, if not very valuable, are yet very pretty when well ripe, perfect, it is almost impossible to eat too many, or eat wrought. Pearls are rounded and polished only by pearl- enough to hurt us, especially if we eat them alone, not dust; and the best are pear-shaped, like the famous jewel taking any liquid with them whatever. Hence, also, is which "Old Egypt," in her wanton pride, drank in that buttermilk, or even common milk, promotive of health in royal draught of costly acid. Pearls are subject to a strange summer time. Sweet milk tends to biliousness in sedendisease, which is communicable ; and not unfrequently all tary people ; sour milk is antagonistic. The Greeks and the pearls in a casket are attacked by it, whereby in a short Turks are passionately fond of milk. The shepherds use time they are reduced to dust ; as was said of the magnifi- rennet, and the milkdealers alum to make it sour the cent parures belonging to the present French Empress. sooner. Buttermilk acts like water melons on the system. Pearls should not be wrapped in jewelers' wool, but should be kept in magnesia or common hair-powder, and never THEY STILL COME."-Subscribers continue to pour in for suffered to get damp. A few pearls, of no great value, have from time to time been found in Ireland and other parts of " Peterson's." Ourons.success, this year, hass"exceeded our In fact, " Peterson' has come to expectati the British Isles ; the most celebrated of which is Lady highest d into a family, d Glenlealy's, for which she refused eighty pounds : but in be a househol necessity. Once introduce general British pearls are what are called brock pearls, it is found to be indispensable. 342