The Russellville Democrat., 1880-06-17
The Fat Mans Friend.


 The Fat Mans Friend.
 St. Louis Republican.
 When a man accumulates sufficient quantity of adipose tissue to be noticed by the public and inconvenient to him. self, his intimate friends are apt to in- quire, "Why don't you 'bant?'" Unless somewhat familiar with what may be termed the science of ponderous corpor- osity, he is not likely to know what they mean and probably majoritJ of the inquirers themselves are more or legs ignorant of the process they recommend and not one person out of q hundred knows anything the individual from whom its name IS derived. For the benefit of our readers-thin as we'll as thick--we propose to supply this defi- ciency in popular knowledge; deriving the material therefor from curious lit tie pamphlet originally pu olished in London seventeen years ago.
 William Banting, ST., is, or was-for we presume he has been gathered to his fathers-an honest Englishman, "l late of No. 27, St. James, street, Piccadilly i; now (1863) ot No. 4, The Terrace, Ken sington." Probably, at the time he wrote, retired merchant
 am now" he says, "nearly 66 years of age, about feet inches Tn stature, and in August last (l862) weighed POP pounds"
 This extra weight had been growing upon him for more than thirty years, in spite of an active and vigorous life and it seems to have burdened his mind as much as his body, for he tried every possible means to get rid of the sur plus.
 have tried sea air and bathing in various localities, with much walking exercise taken gallons of physic and liquor potasse, advisedly and abundant ly, riding on horseback; the waters and climate of bennington many times. as well as those of Cheltenham and Har- rowgate frequently; have lived upon sixpence day, so to speak, and earned it, if bodily labor may be so construed; :; have tried boat rowing, which increased strength, but also my appetite Turkish baths-90 of them-which relieved me of only six pounds, though they gave the additional power and elasticity for walking; and have spared no trouble or expense in consultations with the best authorities in the land, giving each and all fair time for experiment, without any permanent remedy, as the evil still gradually increased"
 His bad luck with the doctors did not disgust him with the profession, but only stimulated him to more extended search for the right one; and at last, after in- numerabie disappointments, as costly as they were discouraging, he found the right one-and this was the simple and efficacious prescriptions
 Abstain as much as possible from bread, butter, milk, sugar, beer and po- tatoes."
 MT. Banting abstained accordingly, and was rewarded by reduction of pound a week; so that in May, 1873 his weight was l6S pounds, and in the following September 156 pounds-which he con sidered the happy natural medium, and stopped there. He says:
 My girth is reduced round the waist in tailor phraseology, 124 inches. I am told by all who know me that my per sonal appearance is greatly improved, and that l seem to bear the stamp of good. health; this may be matter of opinion or friendly remark, but I can honestly assert that l feel restored in health. bodily and mentality appear to have more muscular power and vigor, eat and drink with good appetite, and sleep well. All symptoms of acldity, indigestion, and heartburn (with which l was frequently tormented) have van ished. have left off using boot-hooks and other such aids, which were indis- penslble, but, being now able to stoop with ease and freedom, are un- necessary"
 A clear case of cure certainly. To en- courage those who might fear starvation under the new dietary regulations, MT. Banting published the bill of fare from which he was allowed to select. Here it is:
 "For breakfast. four or five ounces of beef, mutton, kidneys, broiled fish, ba- con or cold meat of any kind except pork; large cup of tea, (without milk or sugar., a little biscuit or one ounce of dry toast,
 fish except salmon, any meat except pork, any vegetable except potato, one ounce of dry toast, fruit out of pud- ding, any kind of poultry or game, and two or three glasses of good claret, sher- ry or madeira-champagne, port and beer forbidden.
 For tea, two or three ounces of fruit, a rush or two, and cup of tea without milk or sugar.
 :" For supper, three or four ounces of meat or fish, similar to dinner, with a glass or two of claret
 " For night cap, if required, tumbler of grog (gin, whisky or brandy, with out sugar, or glass or two of claret or sherry. Eggs allowed at any meal, pro. viding they are not hard boiled"
 Certainly no reasonable stomach could complain at such regimen as this, and yet Mir. Banting found it "the right and proper channel-the tramway, so to speak, of happy, comfortable existence.' , This simple, kind-hearted gentleman who somehow reminds us of Mir. Pick wick-also published "a tabular state ment in regard to weight as proportion. ed to stature, which," he says, "undei present circumstances and the new movement, may be interesting and use ful to corpulent readers :"
 Stature. Waigh, fraf talA Ia