The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-02 00:00:00

VEGETARIAN SOCIETY.

Last evening the members of this society bad a soil ‘e
at the Freemasons' Tavern, Great QuFeu-street,
1 in-
coin's Inn-fields. Mr. Brothertou M.P., took the
chair, and the company numbered upwards t,f 30U pa-
sons the great majority of whom were vegetarians. An
entertainment was provided, consisting of savoury
pies, mushroom pies, parsley fritters, rice fritters,
cheesecakes, various kinds of fruits, tea, coffee, iced
water, and many other things not incliuded in the diet
of animal food. At the close of the repast the chair-
man proposed the health of the Queen, which was re-
sponded to with as much enthusiasm as if it had been
drunk in something more exhilirating than tea, coffee,
or water.

After this the CHAIRMAN addressed the company,
observing that he considered the objects of the present
society were of a most important character, and well
worthy the attention of the philanthropist and the patriot.
The philanthropist was desirous of diminishing human
misery and increasing human happiness. If physical
health and mental strength contributed to the promotion
of happiness, it might be very truly said that happiness
was enjoyed by those who supported the principles and
y people for eating animal food were based upon
embraced the doctrines of this society. The reasons as-
signed b
custom, prejudice, and appetite; but in his opinion, if
they were to act upon a different course, and abstain
from meat altogether, they would contribute greatly to
the promotion of morality and universal peace amongst
mankind. If man was made to believe that he ought not
to murder animals, he would never join murdering men.
If they looked to the physical and anatomical organisa-
tion of man, they would find that he was a frugiverous
or virivorous, and not a carnivorous animal; but he con-
tended that even upon the principle of economy, irre-
spective of those considerations he had mentioned, there
was good reason to uphold the system sought to be
established by this society. When they complained
of the pressure of taxation, they should recollect that
they might save a great portion of this burden by
abstaining from the use of intoxicating liquors. By.
doing this they would accomplish the repeal of the
malt-tax, as far as they were personally concerned,
and thus save that portion of 20 millions of taxation
raised upon luxuries which fell to their share, excepting
the amount which they were called upon to pay for
police-rates and poor-rates which resulted from the
crime and poverty engendered by the use of intoxicating
liquors. Then, again, with regard to the economy of
the vegetarian principle, they would find that there were
three times:the quantity of nutriment in the vegetable
than in the animal kingdom. For instance,hhere was
much more nutriment in two pennyworth of peas than
in Is. worth of beef. It had been proved that in every
1001bs. of beef there was three-fourths of water, and only
251bs. of nutriment; whereas;in the vegetables the nutri-
ment was in the inverse ratio. Chemists had shown
that there was nothing nutritive in the flesh of animals
except that which they abstained from feeding on, the
products of the vegetable world. If this were the case—
and there could be no dodbt of it—surely it would be
better for them to take the vegetable food as nature pro-
vided it, instead of procuring it, at a much dearer rate,
after it had been converted into animal matter. He (the
Chairman) had experienced the benefits of the vegeta-
rian system for 42 years, and he could assure them that
it tended to promote health, much more than that species
of food which was generally eaten by man.
Mr. J. Suersoi,s, president of the society, called at-
tention to the objects of the institution, and the success
which had attended it. The objects, he observed, were
to induce habits of abstinence from the flesh of animals
as food, by the dissemination of information upon the
subject, by means of tracts, essays, and lectures, proving
the many advantages of a physical, intellectual, and
moral character, resulting from vegetarian habits of diet;
and thus to secure, through the association, example,
and efforts of its members, the adoption of a principle
which would tend essentially to true civilization, to uni-
' versal brotherhood, and to the increase of human happi-
ness generally. In proof of the success of the society, Mr.
Simpson gave the following statistics of members to July
26, 1851:—Member of Parliament, 1; county magistrate,
1; alderman, 1; physicians and surgeons, 21; ministers,
10; lecturers and authors, 10; professional men, 50;
merchants, and manufacturers, 26; farmers, 11; pri-
vate gentlemen, 11; tradesmen, mechanics, and la-
bourers, 371; females, 205; males, 513; total 718. But
though the number of members amounted to only 718,
there were throughout the kingdom a large number of
vegetarians not belonging to the society. Mr. Simpson
went on to show the difference between the quality of
nutritious matter is vegetables and that which is found
in meat. Peas, for instance, contained 84 per cent. of
nutritive matter, lentils 84 percent., wheat 851 percent.,
and oatmeal, which formed a large portion of the food of
Scotland, 91 per eertt.; whereas in 10016. of beef there
was 63 and four-tenths of water and nearly 131 b. of fat,
leaving not more than 24 or 251 b. of nutritive matt( r.
Bs. Id. will purchase lOolb. of beans, and Ils. Ord. would
buy 100 lb. of wheat; whereas to get the same quantity
of nutritive matter from beef', mutton, or lamb, at the
ordinary price of 6d. to 9d. per lb., would coat from lot.
to 15/. Science had proved that whereas beans could be
digested in 2i hours, it would take 3f hours to digest a
beef steak or a mutton chop. Potatoes took 3 hours to
digest, and chicken, which was generally given to in-
valids, 3 hours. The flesh of a duck could not be di-
gested in less than 4f hours, whilst an equal quantity of
boiled rice would not take more than If hour to digest;
and it had been shown that the flesh of the pig took 5
hours to digest. All these facts, he contended, proved
that the proper food of man was intended to con-
sist of fruits, herbs, and vegetables. But many persons
asked what would become of the animals if mankind were
not to eat meat? To this he would reply that there
would not have been so many animals had not man
tended to produce their increase for his own gratifica-
tion. Upon this point he (Mr. Simpson) added, that as
the demand diminished so would the supply, and
the farmer and grazier would find it more profitable
to raise food for man than for beasts; and it had been
calculated that a plot of ground which was adapted to
the support of ono beast would maintain fifteen, and in
some instances thirty-five men. Where was it that fa-
mine prevailed to a great extent?—in the sheep-walks
of Scotland, and among the beast-providing, beast-feed-
ing districts of Roscommon. It must also be recollected
that if man persisted in eating meat, he must incur the
chances of disease, for it was a well-known fact that
in London there were many establishments for the
sale of diseased meats alone. Dickens, in his
Household Words, had shown that in a certain district
of the metropolis there were in immediate contiguity two
large establishments—the one a manufactory of sausage
meat, and the other a knacker's yard, and there was a
door which communicated between the two. In proof
of the danger which arose from this system of manufac-
turing sausage meat, Mr. Simpson observed that at
Charing-cross Hospital there was one case of a man who
died from a wound caused by the knife of a sausage-
machine, and the surgeon who attended the patient hav-
ing absorbed some of the virus from the body, became ill
and died. Vegetarians, he continued to observe, were
free from all dangers which arose from eating diseased
meat; and he, moreover, contended that they were not
liable to those contagious disorders which often afflicted
persons who partook of animal food. During the pre•
valence of cholera it was found that, notwitestandihg
medical men recommended abstinence from vegetab.l
food, there was not one death among the mesedbee "
d to
the vegetarian society. Mr. Simpson preoeee.
point out the mischief which he consider_ a
eterenee to
from the ,consumption of animal food Pr,.
in t nesh eating
arose
vegetables, and urged that the practice_oo „. It was a
came into existence subsequently to theoti °el
our natures, as
practice which was altogether foreign
was proved by the taste displayed
b ii tachildrenbpe ar or fora bunch
fact that they
ndMr.
rather than for animal food, and from t
would commit petty larceny
tc)d not think of stealing a
of grapes, although they would
and the business' of the
piece of meat from a butcher s-
teed atiheev.casonr2.parvnayisoihn, a
The Rev. W. Metcalfe,
de Woolf, severally addressosceiety,
further-
ance of the objects of the
hour.
soiree terminated at a late
-

CCUT CIRCULAR.
OSBORNE, FRIDAY.
the Prince, and the Royal children,
TTh© pn ut°l,ea g' rounds at. Osborne yesterday.
warrcil John Russell arrived in the afternoon from Lon-
'''')and had the honour of dining with her Majesty and
his rial
oy Highness.
Lord Cowley had also the honour of receiving an in-
yiteion to dinner.

Lord John Russell returned to town yesterday morn-
ing from a visit to her Majesty at Osborne,lsle of Wight.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Sir Francis
Baring left town yesterday, for the Channel Islands.
The Oxford University Commission had a meeting
Yesterday, at the official residence of the First Lord of
the Treasury, in Downing-street. Present,—the Bishop
of Norwich, the Desn of Carlisle, the Master of Pem-
broke, J. L. Dampier, Esq,. Processor Powell, and the
Rev. A. P. Stanley (secretary).
Sir Gaspard le Merchant had an interview with Earl
Grey yesterday, at the Colonial-office. Lieut.-Colonel
Macdonald had also an interview with the Noble Earl...
Dispatches were sent off yesterday from the Colonial-
office i
office to the Governors of the West India Islands.
orh
Dis-
patches were also sent off to the Governors of the North
American colonies.
Her Majesty's body guard of Gtehnetlgemeredne-hathlysmt.s
commenced their drill parades in
James's Palace yesterday, and were put
sword and carbine exercise by Corporal-Major
inspection by
through
r LI mg hb
e r thei
e,
of the Ist Life Guards, previous to
the Captain, Lord Foley. •

INDISPOSITIOI4 OF LORD RODRN.—Wre regret to
learn that Lord Roden has been very unwell for the last
month. The latest accounts, however, report his Lordship .
as improving in health.