Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-12-06
VEGETABLES VERSUS MEAT.

A writer in the Westminster ReUie1U,
| Minon Kingsford, contends that the eat
ing of flesh by human beings is a relic
| of barbarism. He treats the subject sci
entifcally, historically and ethicslIy.
| He shows first the actual analysis of
| food. The proposition laid down and
| established by laboratory facts is this:
Animal food is composed of the same
materials as vegetable food. 1t is formed
Of the same elements, and presents the
| same pTOzimate principles. The former
is not as nourishing as the latter, but is
more stimulating. The historical aTgu-
ment is drawn from many countries.
In Lspland, for instance, there are two
classes, the blubbeT-eating Laplauder
proper and the bread,eating Finn. The
former subsists on animal food in its
most concentrated form, fat; the latter
lives on the cereal products which he
can raise by dint OF hard work. In
mental and physical stamina there is q
very great difference between the two
races, the difference being wholly in IA
vor of the Firms. Then there are other
peoples who show remarkable powers OF
endurance, to whom animal food is
stranger, or st least q rare
luxury. The boatmen Of the Nile,
the cOppeT-miners Of Chill, the
Scotch and Irish who were practical
vegetarians until very late date; the
Greek and Romans soldiers Of the
palmiest days of those countries, includ-
ing the athlete of the gymuasia. The
heroes of ThermOpyl@ and Marathon
were strangers to animal food s. asteady
diet. The cruelty of killing animals to
crafty the APPETITE is dwelt upon at
much length. The demOra izing in
fluence Of the butchers trade Is ac-
knoWledged by the old common law. In
the majority of cases one would prefer
dinner of bread and herbs to 4 turkey
roast, If obliged to kill the bird; while
gathering vegetables and cereals is no
shock TO the moral or estheticsl nature
of any one. The domain OF botany is
not sentient, and no sympathetic nerves
are shocked by "cruelty" to plants,
fruits, etc. The argument, taking all
in all, is strong, bat very few will con-
cede that il is convincing, and Of those
who might accept it as unsnswerable
only small fraction will square their
conduct according to it. The taste for
meat is quite too strong TO be overcome.
And, for that matter, the arguments are
by no means all on one side. The ma
tons which have made their mark in
the progress of civilization either have
been composed of meat-eaters or
controlled by them. Every English
man eats meat, to tie extent OF his
Purse, and the contrast between the
average Englishman and the average
man of the vegetarian peoples previ 0us-
ly mentioned is intellectually great The
morals of England are quite above the
average of the world. The vegetarian
experiment has been tried quite thor
Oughly in this country, but generally
abandoned as impracticabie for hard
working men and women. Another
L" learned Thebe," Professor James New
man, has taken pen in hand to discourse
of the beauties Of vegetarianism. His
plan is 10 show how sumptu5usly one
may fare without meat. Writing to the
London Dietetic RefOTDer, he gives no
less than nineteen bills of fare, of dinners
actually eaten by him, and from which
fish, flesh, and fowls have been exclud-
ed. Tue list, besides the " stand-Oy'
plain bread and butter, and potatoes,
contained the following dishes: Peas,
puddings, vegetable pies, gooseberry
tarts, green pea soup, haricot of major
am and thyme with fried onions and /
oil, lots OF cheese, fried batter pudding,
blsne-mange, pie of cabbage, onion and /
egg, stewed mushrooms, young potatoes /
in parsley sauce, straw berries and cher /
ries, rhubarb tart, potato fritters, curds /
and whey, wheat mush, mixed fruit /
stewed, cabbage with scrambled egg,
blanc mango with stewed gooseberries, /
the same with orange marmalade, and /
baked pudding OF rice, sage and Sultana 1
raisins.
The Cincinnati correspondent of the /
Louisville Courier journal writes:
''There is a new pOstoffice to be built
here, and the advertising fence is already
erected around the lot. 1t is going to be
a big thing if they cover all the ground
they have chalked out for it. / should I
say that the Louisville pcstoffice could
be put into the postmaster's private Of
fee. That's no kind of fair deal. Il
looks as if a man might take post
Office box here and move his family into
it-hOuse rent twelve dollars s year.
There have already been applicants for
boxes to be used as lager-beer gardens.
hear the postmaster has already or
dered bicycles for the clerks. He HIM
self is practising on forty-five feet stills,
and gets on to them from an elevator.
How this city glOwsI l remember when
ii only had five hundred th0isand peo-
pie.
Mr.. STRAKOsCH is making the ex.
pertinent OF Sunday operate perfor-
manees in New York. He has encoun-
tered some opposition. Those who up.
hold him say grimly that there is little
difference between operate performan-
ees in churches and in theaters. Some
Of the Philadelphia papers, anticipating
similar experiments il their city, proud
y call attention to the difference be-
.ween its population and that Of New
York. They say New York is "a travel
ng eHtrepOt, an exchange OF the migrs.
DRY and foreign elements OF our eoun-
ry," while Philadelphia is ga city Of
homes, and prominently reflects the