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the different races ; so that the inclusion of the Bengali among the great fighting
races of India is, therefore, quite easily understood. Nor would the point have
called for any comment had it not been that the true facts afford still further evi-
dence of the important rôle played by diet. The Bengali has never, so far as we
are aware, in modern times been recruited for the fighting line, and, although many
regiments were called Bengal Infantry, Bengal Cavalry, etc., not a single man
carrying a rifle could claim Lower Bengal as his place of birth. We have no desire
to labour the point, but the question arises : Why is the Bengali unfit for the fight
-ing line when other inhabitants of the plains exposed to, and suffering from, practi-
cally all the disabilities that Dr. Kellogg enumerates—but on a superior diet—are
capable of exhibiting the firmest courage and maintaining untarnished the great
fighting traditions of their race ? Thus we have the Sikhs, famous throughout the
world for their endurance and fighting qualities, inhabitants of the hottest plains of
India, yet men of splendid physique and full of energy ; the Dogras, the Jats,
Rajputs, all well-known for their own special qualities on the Indian frontier or
wherever courage, determination and endurance are called for. These races labour
under the disadvantages advanced by Dr. Kellogg to explain the relatively poor
development of the average Bengali compared with Europeans or the warlike races
abovementioned. Ev en in the various classes of these and allied races differences in
physique, muscular vigour, hardiness and all those qualities that go to make up the
perfect soldier can be detected. We believe and already have obtained a good deal
of proof that diet, and particularly the level of nitrogenous metabolism attained,
has an immense influence on the formation of these most desirable characteristics
of the races whence is drawn our best fighting material. Further, although we have
made no attempt to advance arguments for or against vegetarianism, it will be
found that those races, whether of the hills or the plains, who are distinguished
above all others for their manly qualities, are never vegetarians, but, on the contrary,
usually large meat-eaters. The Sikh lives on wheat, vegetables and meat, parti-
cularly pork for which he has a special liking. The Rajput, Pathan, Baluchi, etc.,
are all meat-eaters, while the more or less purely vegetarian races—such as the
Brahmins—are gradually undergoing elimination as recruiting sources for the
Indian army. We shall say no more on this subject at present except to point
out that the evidence bears out the results obtained by contrasting the Bengali
and Behari. Further, that elimination of the several causes advanced by
Dr. Kellogg from our comparison of tribes or races living under identical condi-
tions as regards sexual excesses, climate, immature marriage, etc., brings out in its
proper aspect the determining influence of diet on the character-formation of a
people. Among those tribes where animal food is consumed as a regular part
of the diet, the bolder and more adventurous spirit displayed by the individuals
is very noticeable. Rousseau has no doubt about the matter. " It is certain," he