Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-02-06
ScragginesS and Obesity.
Baltimore American.


There are great many Of the female
sex who are not satisfied with what
nature has done for them in the way OF
flesh. Some are too fat and others are
too lean, or, as the English term it, af-
fiicted with scragginess. There are
anti-fat remedies, which are in great
demand, and have taken the place of
the old specifics of pickles and vinegar.
Excessive obesity is regarded by some
as disease, though we seldom find
those who live an active and stirring
life, and who are good walkers and in
dustriOus workers, who are seriously
afflicted with it. The cultivation of the
muscles is the best anti-fat remedy ex-
tant. African beauties are penned up
and fattened on sour milk and clabber
for the matrimonial market just as an
American farmer pens and fattens his
pigs. Their great attraction to the OPP
posite sex is a superabundance of flesh.
and the scraggy ones, who cannot be
fattened, are made "hewers of wood
and drawers of water" A diet of milk,
thickened with meal of any kind, ar
rowroot, or wheat starch preferably, or
cracked wheat, with either milk or
sugar will cause almost any one who
is not i'll or .consumptive, or prefer
naturally active, to be brought, like
other domestic animals, into decent
embonpoint. It is on this kind of food
that the wealthier classes of India OBJ
tain that coating Of muscleless, effemi-
nate fat which they prize as a mark of
grade, the head of the house being
often bid to "sit and get fat for the
honor of the family" They add but
ter, but there is nothing in butter which
Their is not in milk. There can, there
fore, be no doubt that milk and meal
will fatter anybod who can be fattened
at all, but of, course, they must be
swallowed in considerable quantities
quantities very different from those
usual in this country. We heard of a
lady recently who had such a desire to
get fat that she had made fully one-half
of every meal on cracked wheat. finish
ing up with a bowl of it, with milk
every night before retiring, and sue
ceeded in adding nearly thirty pounds
to her weight in one year.
The only question is as to the regimen
which will give an abundancy of flesh
to ordinary mortals, without too much
annoyance or disturbance Of the domes-
tic economy, or risk of producing habit
ual and excessive laziness. Brillat-
Savarin's rules are clear, and in their
way sound, and we quote them as sum-
married. in a little book just published:
General Rule-Eat quantity of fresh
bl ead-same days baking-and do not
throw away the crumbs. Before A.
NJ, when i'll bed, take q basin of soup,
not too much, or, if you prefer it, cup
of good chocolate. Breakfast at IL.
Fresh eggs, boiled or poached, outlets,
or anything else, but eggs are essential.
A cup of coffee will not hurt. After
breakfast take a little exercise. Go
shopping or call on a friend, sit and chat,
and walk home again. At dinner, eat
as much soup, meat and fish as you like,
but do not omit to eat the rice with the
fowl, maccaroni, sweet pastry, creams,
etc. At dessert, Savoy biscuit and other
farinaceous preparations which contain
eggs and sugar. This diet may seem
limited, but IS capable of great varia-
ton, and comprises the whole animal
kingdom. Drink beer by preference:
otherwise Bordeaux, or wine from the
South of France. Avoid acids, except
salad, which gladdens the heart. Eat
sugar with your fruit if it admits of it. :"
A physician would, we think. strike out
the Bordeaux and the pastry; but for
the rest, the advice, though over-eIabor-
ate, is sound. Its defect is that it does
not explain the principle on which the
experiment ought to be conducted, and
demands of the patient a great deal too
much appetite. There is no reason for
eating so much meat, and, indeed, some
for avoiding it; for the whole process de-
ponds upon introducing into the system
oil, sugar and starch, none of which
are the components of lean meat. Two
OF these substances are contained in