The Sun.
London, England, 1826-10-06 00:00:00

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No. 10,631.

Dr. PARIS ON DIET.

We copy the following amusing Dialogue, discussing
Dr. Paris's excellent work " On Diet," from the last

iber of

BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE.
SiIEPHERD-I would like, Mr. Tickler, if it were not

usin' ower much liberty, to ask leave to ring the bell for
some toasted 'cheese ? It's a gude while now sin' dinner
atid,l'px getting ruin' again into hunger.
TICKLER—SureIy, James, surely—you shall have a ton
of toasted, cheese.

NORTH--My friend Paris, a clever arid charming fellow,
has lately, published a work on Diet, in. which I am equally
surprised and sorry to see laid down the most pernicious
and penurious principles. Few fellows play a better knife
and fork than Paris ; yet, in theory, he supports the star-

vition system, which, in practice, he does from the very

bottom of his stomach condemn.

SHEPHERD—Oh, man, there's something very mild-
wifesh-like in,publishing look to tell folk how to devour
their vitties. ,There's nae mystery inthat matter—hunger
and thirst are simple straight-forward instincts, no likely
to be muckle improved by artificial erudition; and I'll bet
you a cheese to a kibbock (by the by, what for is'rno
coming ben, the bit Welch rabbit) that your frien's wark
on diet will him nae perceptible influence on the character
o' the Table during our age.
TicKLER-,--The Son of Priam talks away like a Trojan
as he is, about the dangerous tendency of indulgence in a
multiplicity of dishes.
SHEPHERD—He's richt there—nee healthy man has
ony use for mair than half a dizzan dishes at dinner,--
soup,,fish, flesh, fowl, taints, and cheese, is aneuch. for
ony reasonable—
Ttomuit—Hush, Heliogobalus—and hear Paris. " The
stomach being distended with soup, the digestion of which
from the very nature of 'the operations which are neces-
sary for its completion, would in itself be a sufficient labour
for.that organ, is next tempted with fish, rendered indi-
gestible from its sauces ; then with, flesh, and foWl ; the
vegetable world, as an intelligent reviewer ,has observed
! is ransacked from the Cryptogamia upwards?!
NORTH—What a precious ninny the said intelligent re-
viewer !

TICKLER—" And 'to this miscellaneous aggregate are
added the pernicious pasticcios of the pastry cook, and the
complex combinations of the confectioner. All these evils
and many more, have .those who move in the ordinary so-
ciety of the present day to contend with."
SHEPHERD—HeeI]' sirs ! hecli, sirs ! Ih—ha—
ha ! Porgie me for liurstin out n-lauchin at a clever znin,
and a frien' o' yours, gentlemen ; but, o'dear me, my
sides, heard ye e'er the like o' that last sentence ! It
would be a grand warld, sirs, if man• had rise mair evils
to contend against than soups, and fish and flesh, and
fowl. As to the whole vegetable warld, free Cryptoga-
mia upwards, I shall say naething anent that clause.th our
calamities, never haVing been at Cryptogamia, which, for
any thing I ken to the contrary, may be the neist kintra
to Mesopotamia.; neither shall .1 venture AR, contradick
the Doctor about the Pastigeos, unless indeed he mean
pigeon-pies, in ity,hich case I gie the te direct in the
midst unequivocal and categorical manlier, tqy being the
insist halesome o' a' bird-pies whatsomever, whether com-
mon do.ocoii,.or cushats, only you mamma eat them owed
often,

Tickum—Bitt the Doctor continues " nine persons
in ten eat as much soup and fish as would amply *office
for a meal."
Sitzpitmtn—A lee ! a lee !--amply suffice for a, meal
TICKLER -" A new stimulus appears in the form of
stewed beef, cotelettes a la supreme ; then comes a Bay-
onne or Westphalia ham, or a pickled tongue, or some
analogous salted, but proportionably indigestible dish, and
each of these enough for a single meal."
SHEPHERD—He forgets, he forgets, he Doctor forgets,
Mr. Paris, M.D. forgets that each man in the company
cannot for his own individual share eat up the whole of
the same individual dish. Each man only takes a platefte,
or twa at the midst, o' each o' thee dishes ; for wha ever.
heard o' being helped three times to ilka dish on the
board ? Nae man wou'd bee the face to ask it, and if he
did the prayer o' his petition would not be granted.
TICKLER," But this is not all; game follows; and to
this again emceed the sweets, and a quantity of cheese?'
SHEPHERD,Quite right-,-quite right. 0, Mr. Tick-
ler, what an effect, after sic a dinner, would Dr. Paris,
produce on
,a guest 'by an emetic !
TICKLER," The whole is crowned with a variety of
flatulent fruits and indigestible knick-knacks, included
under the name of dessert, in which we must not forget
to notice a mountain of sponge cake."
SHEPHERD--And then what a cracking, 0'1146, till a
pyramid of shells rise up before each member of the club---
but there I agree with the Doctor.
TICKLER,' Thus then it is, that the stomach is made
to receive, not one full meal, but a succession of meals,
rapidly following each other,'and vying in their miscel-
laneous %.ral pernicious nature with die ingredients of
Macbeth's cauldron." .
SUEPHERD,There again Dr. Parifespeaks great non
sense, for Shakespeare meant no affront to a good dinner--
and too many great folk quote and allude to him with ig-
norance and presumption. Macbeth's cauldron indeed !
!Tad the Doctor been right, wha, (hut lie a witch or a
warlock ? But the truth is, he has written down the
starvation system by .the mere simple statement of that of
generous repletion. I wish it were now about a quarter
of an hour or, ten minutes before dinner, instead of twa
hoars offer it ';' but 1:will try and put oft- till stliper, and
inenwliii,e here goes a sort o' nonsensical sang.
yam and cheep,
Th
jefrea'swsnee
soulsatrne m
ly in their way;
And some through this bright world 'ill creep,
As if fear'd for the light 0! COX.) ,day.
And some would not lend ye a toddle,
Although they would borrow a crowo,
.Wheiwaukin, if they can sleep some.
'ill ne'er fash their noddle
And some folk

And Xonieliil big scar* on their face,
Point out a win acart on a friez;
And some black ux sweeps wi' disgrace,.
Cry out the whole world's unclean.

Nome wha on the best o't can cram,
Think a' body else Inaun be fu',
Nome would ua glie misery a dram, •
Though they wattle themselves till they spew•
Suly's death! there can be but sma' pleasure .

cursed crew, ,f.
Iu livin"ruang sic a
Ara were na the soul's sacred treoure,ew.
The friendship that's found in a I
That treasure let's hoord it thegither,
Enjoy nay nude luck Or thole ill, Nor grudgethough wine's sent to a bli et
In lulgitit, when I've but a gill.
Then here's to the 'chid wha's sae bauld
As to trust his ain thought to his tongue,
Wha e'en though his trunk's growin fluid'.
Has a soul and a heart that are young.
Before lan auld forget,
Aiy memory first I menu tine;---
Here's a glass for unither health yet,
Need et thou gtItNI, allgerwornaO ;wail thilke•