THE DANGERS OF TINNED FISH.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1671, 5 March 1890, Page 4

THE DANGERS OF TINNED FISH.

A case of blood poisoning ooourred in Auokland, where the cause was proved without doubt to be the eating of tinned fish of inferior quality. The " Herald " published the particulars, which attracted the" attention of a well-known Auckland gentleman, *Mr John' Abbott, who thereupon gave some details of bis own very unpleasant experiences. Mr Abbott writes :: — * A few days ago it was an- 1 nounced in your columns that a man had been poisoned by eating a portion of tinned , salmop, and .1 presume , in conseof. 'Man being, immortal till his work is done/ death did npt on this occasion seize him as ics prey ; but while a miraculous way; J of escape was found for the man; it did not fare so well with the cat ; she having partaken of some of the food gave up.thechost. Many years ago, the late Mr SamueLQophraqerwas carrying on business in. Fort-street, in conjunction with several others, I sampled aud ate a very small portion of oinned fruit (a shipment' from Germany); I had that evening company for dinner; and beitig in the act of carving, I was suddenly seized with the most violent internal pains which I then thought would land me on the other side. I, however, , with intense agony, weathered the r storin, t A few days after, on passing down Princes-street, I noticed a figure very much like that of the late T. W. Marsh. 'On overhauling him I found my .conjecture correct; but the' short interval that had elapsed since I witnessed him at the canned dessert in Fort-street had made so great a change, that I felt in du'y bound to ask. him whether he had made his will. He replied; ' T partook of a little fruit in. Cochrane's, and on reaching home I w-ia so bad that I thought I was doing battle with the last enemy,' to which I replied 'ditto,' and suggested that we should go in company to the fruit shop, On reaohing the .emporium,, we gave our mutual exDerienoe, and, propounded questions. We found . tha+ all the parties who indulged in the' said luxury were similarly affected, and ihat Schultz's dog took a little;' and after spasms of intense pain passed over to the uaaj >rity. From the foregoing it is quite evident that panned fruit and fish are in many instances. sufficiently poisonous to put out of existence'the members of the feline and canine, species. As we can with advantage afford to dispense with legions of these creatures, not much harm is done ; but as the property-tax and other cognate abominations are rapidly thinning our numbers, it is not absolutely necessary to Summon auxiliaries in the shape' or canned fish, flesh, fowl, fruit, and Vegetables, in order to rapidly fill our cemeteries. As the] brand of the salmon whioh did its work'so effectually the other day is known, i think immediate action should be taken by the police, in order to put ; out of -existence those, infernal A machines, of d»Btruct.ipn and . ..death. Moreover, it was only thjs mprjiing that at 4 o'clock^ tho'. s'erv ( icps of E?culapius were summoned in a case* where a man had p'ar£aken < "of " tinue'd" salmon, an'd ' ihe patient was 'found wtig^irnj* lfte an' eel on the floor of his house.' We "do not wish to frighten those of our readers who indulge, in ginned salmon, and .similar imported delicacies, but we wpuld warn the*m against . purchasing any,. .but the best brands. TheJiqudrin the fish tins should always be poured offhand, not used. Good', sound^vin^arj^th a"dash of red pepper, should t;ake' its place. Tinned fish also, be it- noted, should be eaten as soon after, the tin is opened as possible. Jf the/ whole of the contents are ndt used they should be, placed .in an air-tight jar or. covered dish,, until required— they ; ishould iiwer be ' le^^in.'^th^e .tin.. T^e, above' recommendations are given us. by a > medical : gehtKtoan fn w%Ble knowledge and judgment we' hive"every confidence. —" Napier New»>" -