The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-04-29
From the Albany Gazette.

VEGETABLES, THE MOST WHOLESOME
DIET. About three years since, travelling
through several countries in Europe, par
ticularly remarked the diet, not only of the
peasantry, but of those in affiuence and the
difference between them and US, in regard
to the quantity of food, was remarkable.
With the Irish, we find vegetables, par
ticularly potatoes, with buttermlk and
coarse bread, constitute almost the only
sustenance Of the laborer, with the excep-
ton of fish, eaten by those located on the
sea shores and lakes. In Scotland, very
considerable portion of the food of the pop
ulation is oatmeal, and other farinaceous
eatables and vegetables, but little flesh. In
France, soup, black or coarse bread, pulse.
vegetables, apples, &C., with but little ami
NAL food, with poor wine as a beverage,
constitute the support of the working class
of society. In England, the mechanic and
laborer, particularly the latter, eat but spar
ingly of meat; their diet being generally
brown or coarse bread, cheese, potatoes,
and other vegetables, with beer, called
small beer, and cider, as a beverage, in
many counties or shires.)
Under these modes of living, we are al
ilIOSt dSGOUISuCu LudL IlIG Uulh vi IuG pOpu-
laton of those countries, should be able to
perform their daily toll, and continue in
good health but there are none who enjoy
that inestimable blessing in greater per
fiction, Gf we except some employed in
certain noxious manufactories). 1t is true
that the low wages is the principal cause of
this abstinence from animal food but still
giving this manner of living some reflection,
was induced to believe that the general
custom with US lowing to the abundance,
and consequently the cheapness of provis-
ions) of eating animal food three times dan,
thus heaping meals of flesh upon flesh, may
have tendency to deteriorate our health
If the English Scotch, and Irish peasantry,
who frequently eat no meat from Sunday to
Sunday, and great part of the population
for a much longer time, enjoy the best
health and strength, it may not be improper
to consider whether much greater guam
tity of animal food is not consumed by us
than is necessary; and in fact, whether our
eating flesh three times a day, does not
conduce to some complaints we suffer here,
which is not So prevalent with the laboring
population of Europe? Pulse (peas) formed
considerable part of the food of the an
cient Romans those hardy veterans, who
conquered the greatest part of the then
known world, and we observe in the sacred
writings, that David was commanded by
his father to take pulse, loaves and cheese,
to the Israeltish army, then at war with the
Phlistines, and we have reason to suppose
that this kind of food constituted the main
support of the troops.
BY consuming SO much animal food, we
are, IN great part by habit, indulging our
selves at the expense of our health. Is so
much meat necessary or even proper, espe-
cially in the summer months And are we
not incautiously laying the seeds of diseas-
es especially IN our children, who generally
eat more animal food in one day than the
most robust of the English, Scotch or Irish
children do in month.
The ssdantary, l would most strongly
caution; being perfectly satisfied from ex-
perience, that with respect to them, animal
food once day, would preserve them in
better health, than most of them can now
boast of; and l believe thousands of our
children have been consigned to an early
tomb by examining them with animal food
three times day, for years in succession.