Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-05-16

MAN AFKIir EA1ER.
In reviewing Miss Kingsford, II. DIS
book. "The Perfect Way in Diet, Il rao,s-
ieige remarks: Mans nearest of kin
among the animals is the ape. This IS
shown not only BY those outward fea-
lures which all can recognize, bat more
clearly and more certainly by the struc-
ture of the nervous system. The animal
in which this system resembles most
closely the nervous system Ia man Is the
ape, and Of all apes that which comes
nearest to man in this respect is the
oranR. The brain convolutions, which
the rodents fguawing quadrupeds-rats,
squirrels, etc. and edentates, (toothless
quadrupeds-ant eaters. ground hogs,
etc., ara very simple, in the flesh eating
animals are more developed, and In the
apes, especially the orangs, they are de-
veloped still more I ully. "We are au-
thorizsd in concluding" says Professor
Mivart, 'that the difference between the
brain of the orang and that of man, a.
far as yet asccrtained. is difference OF
absolute mass, it is difference of degree
and not OF kind"
Starting from this relationship, Miss
Kingford, in the book before US, pro
ceeds to indicate the bearing of mans
kInship to apes on the ve1ed question OF
mans proper or natural food. Careful
ly studying the entire digestive appara-
tus of animals and men, and especially
comparing this apparatus in men and
apes, she is led to the conclusion that
man approaches nearest in this respect
to those animals which are eaters OF
fruits and herbs. 'If," she says, I'VE
have consecrated to this sketch of COM
parative anatomy and physiology par
apraph which may seem little Woarl;
some in detail, it is because 1t appears
necessary to combat certain erroneous
impressions affecting the structure OF
man, which obtain credence not only In
the vulgar world, but even among other
wise instructed persons. How MANY
times, for instance, have We not heard
people speak with all authority OF con-
viction about the canine teeth and sim
pie stomach of man as certain evidence
of his natural adaptiOns for flesh diet!
At least we have demonstrated one fact
that if such arguments are valid, they
apply with oven greater force to the an
thoropOid apes - whose canine teeth
are much longer and more powerful than
those of men-and the scientists must
make haste, therefore, to announce
rectification of their present division OF
the animal kingdom in order to class
with the carnivOra flesh eaters) and
their proximate species all those ami
mails which now mako up the order pri-
mates men and apes. And yet. with
the solitary exception of man, there IS
not one of these last which does not in q
! natural condition refuse to feed on
iIeshr' Pouche. says that all the details
OF mans digestive apparatus, as well as
his dentition. are proofs of his frugivor-
Gus (fruit-eating) origin. Professor
Owen agrees that the close analogy be-
tween apes and man demonstrates his
| frugivorous nature. So also do Culver,
Linneus, Lawrence, Bell, GaSsendi,
Flourens and host of authorities.
Yet another belief IS as common as 1t
is erroneous, namely, that flesh food
| contains the elements of physical force,
and that to be strong, robust and en-
dowed with muscular energhitis necces.
sary to partake largely of animal food"
Yet no TESTIFIED animal RIVALS in strength
the herb-eating rhinOcsros; In endurance
the horse, the mule, or the camel. A
gorilla feeding on fruits and nuts is
more than match for the far heavier
| lion. 1.-The buffalo, the bison, the hippo
potamus, the bull, the zebra, the stag,
are types of physical power and vast
| bulk, or of splendid DEVELOPMENT of
limb. Only in fer0city ere fiesh-eatlng
| animals superior ca to those who find
food in fruits and herbs"
AS regards man himself, the idea that
the hesh-eaters are the most powerful 10
erroneous, as the cognate idea that to
i l. oh NasI
| large quantities of flesh meat. I'm the
palmy days of Greece and Rome, before
! intemperance and licentious living had
and greatness, their SONS, who we're not
only soldiers but heroes, subsisted on
simple vegetable food, rye meal, fruits,
and milk. The daily rations of the Ro-
man soldier wero one pound of barley,
three ounces of oil, and pint of thin
wine. 1t was 40 regimen of flesh that
inspired tho magnificent courage of
Spartan patriots who defended the de-
files of Thermopyl@, or that filed with
indomnitable valor and enthusiasm the
conQnerOrs of Salamis and Marathon"
Among the nations of today, also, We
find the fruit eaters and herb eaters as
enduring, to say the least, as the flesh
eaters-and healthier.
| Are we then to infer with our author
that a diet of fruit and seeds, preferably
urcooked, is the best for the human
race! Or, if We infer this, may We con-
clude that all would do we'll to adopt
such a diet! 1t might bs unsafe to ac-
cept the latter inference, for habit and
custom count for something in such
matters. But We may very safely adopt
the opinion. now generally prevalent
among experienced physicians, that
fruit and seed, herbs and vegetables,
shonld form larger proportion of our
food than they do. Precisely as many
who do not accept, in its entirety, the
views of DR.. Richardson about alcoholic
stimulants, yet hold that these stimu-
lants, if taken at all, should be taken in
much smaller quantity than is customa-
~, 30, many who would not agree with
Miss kingsford, that animal food shulOd
be entirely displaced (which is DIR. Rich
ardson's opinion also,) yet see that it
would be we'll if flesh meat were taken
in much less quantities than at present.
How much custom has to do with the
| use and effects of flesh meat is shown by
cases such as Miss kingsford mentions,
| in which persons unaccustomed to flesh
meat have been actually intoxicated BY
its use. DIR. Dundas Thompson tells US
of some Indians accustomed to vegeta-
bic food. who, dining luxuriously ON
meat, showed an hour or two later, BY
their jabbering and gesticulations, that
| the same effect had been produced upon
them as if they had taken some intoxi-
eating spirit or drug.
Nov they are all gons," to Squirs's
Opera House. tonight at o'clock.
ANzEICE.