Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-07-02

OF compensation, a regular supply OF
fresh air, without draughts, an atmos-
phere as free from dust and other inns
purities as can be obtained, with a
good supply of light, and some arti-
fetal warmth when needed. These
necessities granted, cereal foods such
as well>made bread in variety, and
vegetable produce. including fruits,
should form part of tee diet consum-
ed, with fair addition of eggs and
milk if no meat is taken, and little of
other animal food than fish. On such
dietary, and without alcoholic slim
ulants, thousands of such workers as
l have briefly indicated may enjoy,
with very little exercise, far better
health and more strength than at
present they experience on meat and
heavy buildings, beer, bakers bread,
and cheese. Of course there are work
1rs who belong to neither of the two
extre me classes indicated, and whose
habits can not be described as seden-
tary, put who occupy a middle place
between the two. For such some corr
responding modification of the dietary
is naturally appropriate. But it is a
vulgar error to regard meat in any
form as necessary to Life; if for any it
is necessary, it is for the hard work.
ing out door laborers, and for these a
certain proportion is no doubt desir-
able Animal deSD IS useful, also, as
a concentrated form of nutriment,
valuable for It's portability, and for the
small space it occupies in the stomach
-unrivaled in certain circumstance.
Like every other description of food,
it is highly useful in its place, but is
by no means necessary for a large pro
portion Of the population. To many
it has become partially desirable only
by the force of habit and because their
digestive organs have been trained to
deal with it, and at first resent a
change. But this being gradually
made, adoption takes place, and the
individual who has consumed two or
three meat meals daily with some
discomfort, chiefly from being often
1ndIsposed to make active exertions,
becomes, after sufficient time has
elapsed, stronger, lighter, and hap
pier, as well as better tempered and
manifestly healthier, on the more
DELEGATE dietary sketched. Peo-
pie Ia general have very inadequate
ideas Of the great power of habit alone
in forming what they believe to be
innate personal peculiarities, or ia
creating conditions which are appa-
rently part of constitutional necessi~
ty, laws of their nature, and essential
to their existence Many of these PEI
culiarities are solely due to the habit
that is, to long continuance In a
routine Of action adopted, it may be,
without motive Or design; and people
are apt to forget that if routine of
precisely opposite character had been
adopted precisely opposite conditions
would have been established, and OPP
posite peculiarities would have become
dominant, as their contraries are now
Alterations In the dietary, especially
of elderly persons, should be made
gradually and with caution. This
condition fulfilled a considerable
change may be effected with satis~
factory results, when circumstances
4'osadoa' 1aooceeer5. To repert once
more to the question of flesh eating. it
should be remarked that it appears to
be by no means natural taste with
the young. Few children like that
part of the meal which consists Of
meat, but prefer the pudding, the
fruit, the vegetables, all well dressed,
which, unhappily. is not often the
case. Many children manifest great
to meat at first. and are
coaxed and even scolded by ANXIOUS
mothers until the habit of eating it is
acquired. Adopting the insular creed,
which regards beef and mutton as
necessary to strength, the mother
often suffers FROM groundless forebod-
ings about the future of a child who
rejects flesh and manifests what is
as an unfortunate partiality
for bread and butter and pudding.
Nevertheless, am satisfied if the
children following their owa instinct
in that matter, the result would be a
gain in more ways than one. Gers
tainly, if meat cid not appear in the
nursery until the children sent for it,
it would rarely be seen there, and the
young ones would, as rule, thrive
on milk and eggs, with tae varied
produce Of the vegetable kingdom.