Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-06-03

DANGEROUS TO ACTIVE MEN.
From the New York Commercial
A good deal Of attention has lately been
attracted by declaration made IN paper
devoted to the study of proper food for
man that good health could only be Sc
cured by taking Il hearty meal at midday.
The writer went on TO say 1t was better
for business men to take time for sub
stantial meal at midday than to snatch
the hasty lunch that is usual, for the lat
ter proceeding was simply inviting fate.
This opinion attracted the attention OF
some Of our morning contemporaries, who
seemed to agree with it. Therefore, Il
Commercial reporter was sent on a tour
among well-known physicians Of this city
to ascertain whether il is advisable and
healthful for active, pushing men to stop
in the midst Of their days work and con.
sumo hearty meal. The majority OF
those spoken to laughed at the theory
thus propounded. An eminent physician
living III the upper part OF the city SAID
the reason why heavy midday meal
would be injurious, while the evening
dinner was really healthy, was that BUSH
ness and professional men We're generally
in such Il hurry i'll the middle OF the day
that they could not spare time to mastl-
cate the food they ate, much less allow 1t
to digest, before rushing again to their
work. He; had visited restaurants III the
lower part Of the city between l. and l
o'clock in the day and had seen respecta-
BILE men grabbing and swallowing food
the same rs hogs at n trough. This
method of eating was decidedly unhealthy,
and it would be far better if they
would merely nibble a hard cracker dur
ing the middle Of the day, for they would
have to masticatc that and take II little
time over it. 1t was far healthier
in his opinion for professional men
to dispose of hearty breakfast say
from 7 TO s o'clock i'll the morning,
eat lightly during the middle of the day,
then take time to their dinners after the
days labors were over. a dinner at
about 5 or & o'clock, eaten slowly and en-
joyed amid pleasant family surroundings,
interspersel with cheerful conversation,
was far more productive of health than all
the midday meals which could be thought
of. A heavy midday meal would unfit
professional men for carrying on any
business III the afternoon, us it would
make them ntiNN anu olttpyy iph la
ture requires some kind of repose to AID
digestion.
Another well known physician said the
system Of eating i'll this country was ridic-
ulous, as any person OF common sense
would see. The majority Of persons
thrust three heavy meals into about 10
hours, and Leave the body without fresh
supply of food for the remaining II hours
Of the day and night. He thought two
good meals, morning and evening, would
be the proper plan, with perhaps light
lunch or cracker and n glass of wine at
about | o'clock III the day. This would
allow both oethe heavy meals an oppor-
tunity to digest before the next was taken.
AS to heavy midday meal for men who
have to tear around as if the next moment
were to be their last it is perfectly ridicu-
Ions, rs the food, instead of digestlng and
forming blood, muscle and BRAIN, would
act M n block to those forces of nature
choking up II sewer, ns 1t were.
Other Physicians expressed similar
opinions, the same ideas being given, only
i'll different phrases and modes OF express
SION.