New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-12
HOW TO GROW OLD.
FOOD AND HEALTH.

DIET n RELATION TO AGE AND ACTIVITY ,,, by
lish edition. l6mo PIP. o. Bsstsn: Cupples &
Hurd.
This is an eminently sound and wise little
treatise on subject which is of universal in
terest and Importance. The purpose of Sir Henry
Thompson is to enforce the doctrine
that heavy feeding is mischievous at all ages
and especially in the decline Of life. While
disclaiming the name Of vegetarian he bears
strong testimony to the benefits of an almost
distinctively vegetable diet. At the same time
be points out the inconsistency of those who, while
calling themselves vegetarans consume large
quantities Of strictly animal food in the form of
eggs milk, butter and vhoosc. TnUsc s,Uh
dict NAV not be meat eaters. but he asserts That
they assurediy are not veget arians Tho popular
notion that after middle life moro generous or
supporting" regimen is demanded is controverted
with emphasis. After middle age, Sir Henry as
serts. less support, not more, Is required lhe
digestive organs at that time of life begin to lose
their efficiency, and tho energy OF the powers OF
eliminating waste products declines correspond
insly. The whole standard of vitality. in fact, is
lowered by advancing ago. and less nourlshment
than at any previous period is demanded.
Alcoholic drinks of all kinds Sir Henry regards
as generally unnecessary AMI often positively mis-
chievOus. AS stimulants they are delusve, their
use beng inevitably followed by depressing reac-
ton, and they gradually weaken the stomach and
iniure its tone Most people. he does not hesitate
to assert eat and drink too much. and he is dis
posed to believe that more harm is done by over
eating than by over-drnkng. Few indeed Will
question the general accuracy OF these position s.
There are good many sooalled temperance people
who while prldIng themselves IpOn their absti
pence from alcoholic drinks. habitually exceed at
the table, and by so doing bring upon themselves
nh a =
70 intoxicants involves. At the present day the
extent to which dyspepsia prevails certainly ndl-
Gates the ex1stence Of an intemDerlnce not
less needing restrictive measures. perhaps. than
tn at of tbs saloons. Nor would 1t be difficult to
make plausible showing for the contention that,
if the i'll effects of personal habits upon others upon
the family. the community and the state. for IN
9, ance) Justify the interference of government and
the abortion of restrictive and cOercive measures,
catalogue of crimes. misfortun"s, miSeres, the di
rect product Of dyspepsia cOuld be drawn mp which
would parallel the strongest ind lctments framed
against the drink evil.
Remembering how largely both tho Success and
the pleasures of lite dependent upon health.
and how necessary to the maintenance OF health
IS the regular and vigorous operation Of the
digestive apparatus, it Is anything but fattcring to
the general intelligence that the question OF diet
should be so neglected as 1t usually is. Judging.
too, from the prevailing table habits OF the genera
ton. and testing them by the proverb that every
man is either a fool or a physician at forty" it
might be thought that the evolution of physicians
had been practically put stop to. Sir II. Thomp-
sons dicta regarding the regime proper to are
Of course the conclusions derived from a wide eX
periepce Precisely the same conclusions. however,
were reached by thoughtful observers ares ago.
though they have been ignored IN practice by per
haps ninety-nIne people out of every hundred.
Nothing more concluslvey exhibits the intensity
If the animal apoetltes than this fact however
Eve, a maa like Emanuel Swedenborg who
NAV be said TO have lived In spiritual
rather than a physical environment. could not
resist the temptations Of the table. and more than
once 40 gorped himself that his finer perceptions
were clouded Nothing, TOO, shows more strlkingly
the iuferiority of hnmau reason In this regard to
what is called instinct The free wild animal
rarely oyereats His instinct sufices to stop him
| ,vban he has had enough. But neither savage nor
;vi,,zsd man has control his aDpetites though
tho former redre sos the balance of indulgence by
oer,odical prolonged fasts, IN this particular ex-
Knitting better hygienc sense than the HERS OF
| IN .,o .oes in the foremost files of time" seem
capable OF.
| Va, ia obvious that before the human race can
mako any considerable advance in min1-rowth IL
must learn to hold the grosser app tites IN
tion and this not capriciousiy but systematically
AT nresapt the world is as far from such cOnsum-
nation az our great grandfarhers were from any
belief in temperance as applied to drink. Perhaps
there is hope to be derived from the progress al
ready made IN restraining drunkenness but 1t must
at least be realized that the whole earth Is as yet
missionary ground in relation to excess 10 eaunR'
and that the general indiff renee 10 the sub)ect
hitherto argues a dulnrss of perception anything
but favorable to reform. IL the fear OF disease.
misery and perhaps death will not move men to
live absteIniousiy 1t 10 hardly probable that any
less powerful appeal to reason than present ex'
perienoe constitutes Will persuade them. None the
Less u II In order to discuss the question, and to