DEADLY CHRISTMAS DINNERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 77

DEADLY CHRISTMAS DINNERS.

FOODS NOT TO MIX ON THE 25th. ~- Be careful- what you mix at Christmas | dinner. Poison lurks everywhere — in theturkey, in the dessert, and among the" many liquids. They are -all harmless i by, themselves, bub certain kinds of food mixed in one's stomach may combirfo and disfcilNa poison that will, at 'least, wipe out all your enjoyment of , Christmas. , Fortunately many of them, are '- things one- doesn't often, mix,- but.yo'us should keep, an eye on them : in" case; ' > -'< . Den!t mix fish and port wine. Port wine, of course, is not usually combined with 'fish, but sometimes it is. You may~escape even if you do mix these things; but there is a strip of flesh* l^ng along the fish's " spine which will disturb your interior- very much .if it comes in contact with port. Sole is ; the least harmful in this 1 combination, and plaico or mackerel the worst. The port acts on this spinal strip, and distils a formidable poison which will make you very ill -indeed. It produces terrific dyspeptic pain 3, and the" ' feeling of a tight band of hot air across the forehead. It is not liable to actually kill' you unless you are naturally in very bad condition, but it would'" be dangerous thing for a child to get hold of. There is no remedy except an emetic, so .avoid mixing fish and port. There is no ' harm iv fish if the port is taken some time afterwards. You would not imagine that any sane man would eat hare and celery together — that is, oelcry immediately after hare. But it has been done more than once,, withdisastrous results. Don't do it, or you may spend the rest of your Christmas in bed. The juices of the hare, and, in fact, of any other kind of game in a less degree, refc • upon the celery and foment a mixture 1 , which buckles up the coats of the stomach,^ and is mere painful than one'would think -possible.- It is liable to cause the death of children*; but an adult- will usually recover ' after a very unpleasant experience, '^.nd if • by any 'chance a lemon should be" eaten;,cr--itar juice drunk," on tdp'pl the' last^rajxture, _t results Will bo more painful tlian ever, and - the- stomach may be permanently affected. Celery does no harm" whatever^ in the .samelneal.with hare if-only there, is. a> "course "or ■ so between, as there, najurally would be. ' ; Most people know thai Wine should not be mixed with oysters; «nd spirits are- far v worEe. They transform the tender morsels " to tough slabs of unchewaßle leather, and ' you will suffer accordingly. ' No -man can. ' digest oysters and spirits at once-; and if by mischance you should add liqueur of »\ny kind your tortures will be' terrific, and you will not feel well for a week after the mis- " take. No man should insult hie interior with shell-fish and alcohol at once. Stout ; does no harm, however. ' ' t If you are unwise enough to mix turkey or fowl with brandy and spinach, you will . suffer yet more. This triple combination , is more than the strongest stomach in the world can stand, for the three items are antagonistic, distilling acids and other.horvors, and while they are fighting it~ oufc ' you will have a very bad time. It is hard - to- find a reason for this, v but it is un- v doubtedly so, and you will not bribe -anyone •" who has done it to repeat the experiment at ° any • price. ' Again, whisky and bananas is ar jjossible • mixture, and one of the most dangerous.' It may actually prevent your ever attending another Christmas dinner, and will certainly . make you extremely and. emphatically ill, with much more, pain than anybody cares to bear at Yuletide. So ' let whisky and '. bananas alone. Separately they, are well,- • enough, but . combined they make „ a . . dangerous poison. ".,..- As to drinks, whisky and .burgundy -will, . if mixed even in small quantities, make you . repent very seriously next day, but they -are- . not , dangerous. Onei jtwould iiofc. expect a *• sensible -person to drink tea and the" liqueur ' called Chartreuse together, but if he did he ' might very.' well succumb to the after-effects. The liquid formed by the "action of the"'' Chartreuse on the' tannin that is present in % tea is an active poison, and anyone attacked ; by it is to be pitied.