The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-08-23
Extracts from English papers
Omaiyorous Natme of Man

OmniUorous Vatme Of Man.
AS the physical capabilities of his
frame enable man to occupy every va
riety of climate, soil. and situation. it
follows. of necessity, that he must be
omnivorous, that is, capable of deriving
sufficient punishment and support from
all kinds of food. The power of living
in various situations would be rendered
.nugatory by restriction TO one kind of
diet.
If it was fhe design of nature. that
the dreary wastes of LaplaDd, The maxi
ed and barren shores of the Icy Sea, the
ice-bound coasts of Greenland and Lab
rador, and the frightful deserts of Ter
ra del Fuego, should moi be left entirely
uninhabited, il is impossible TO suppose
that either vegetable or even mixed
diet is necessary 10 human subsistence.
How could roots, fruits, or other vege-
table productions be procured, where
the bosom of the earth is closed the
greater part of the year, and IFS surface
either covered with many feet of snow,
or rendered impenetrable' by frost OF
equal depth Experience shows US
that the constant use of animal food
alone is as natural and wholesome TO the
Esquimaux, the Samoides, the inhabl-
tants of Terra del Faego, &c. as the
most careful admixture of vegetable
and animal matters is TO us. We even
find that the Russians, who winter on
Nova Zembla, are obliged to initiate the
Samoides by drinking fresh reindeer
blood, and eating raw flesh, 10 order TO
preserve their health. DIR. Akin in-
forms us that these practices were found
most conducive 10 health in those high
northern 1atitudes. Hence, we shall
be less surprised at finding men, in GER
tain situations, living and enjoying health
on what seem to be the most filthy and
disgusting objects. The Greeniander
and the inhabitants of the Archipelago,
between northeastern Asia aad north
western America, eat the whale often
without waiting for cookery. The for
mer bury a seal, when they catch one,
under the grass in summer, and the
snow in winter, and eat the bali frozen,
half putrid flesh, with as keen relish
as the European finds in his greatest
dainties. They drink The blood OF the
seal while warm, and eat dried herring
moistened with whale oil.
In the tcrrid zone, on the contrary,
circumstances are very unfavorable 10
raising and supporting those hocks and
herds of domesticated animals, which
would be necessary TO supply the nu-
merous population with animal food.
The number, fierceness, and strength
of beasts of prey, the periodical alter
nations of raios and foundations, with
the long continued operations Of YER
teal sun, whose direct rays dry up all
succulent vegetables and all fluids, are
the principal and insurmountable obsta-
cles. The deficient supply of flesh IS
most abundantly compensated by nume-
rogls and valuable presents; by the
cocoa-nut, the plantain, the banana, the
sago tree; by the potato, yam, csssava.
and other roots; by maize, rice and
millet; and by an infinite diversity OF
cooling and refreshing fruits. BY these
precious gifts, nature has pointed out I"
the natives of hot climates the most
suitable kind Of nourishment. Here,
accordingly, a vegetable diet is found
most grateful and salubrious, and animal
food much less wholesome.
In the temperate regions Of the globe,
All kinds of animal food can be easily
procured, and nearly all descriptions Of
grain, roots. fruit, and other vegetable
matters; and, when taken in modcra-
ton, all afford wholesome nourishment.