Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-11
THE LENTEN DIET.
1t May be Carried Too Far and Serious
Injury be the Result.

Dr.. VIM. A Hammond in Philadelphis Pre8
1t 10 not often the case that devotional fast
ing 10 followed by immediate death, for the
authority Of parents or guardians or the physi-
clan is brought to bear before such result can
be reached, but extreme debility, derangment
Of the digestive organs, feebleness of the
hearts action, neuralgia in various parts Of the
body and nervous prostration, are common
consequences of deprivation of food during
lent
call to mind the instance of young lady
who had by no means attained her full growth,
who. after forty days of restriction to an ex-
ceedingly meager diet, came out Of her re-
hgious exercise with loss Of Is pounds in
weight and an irritable spine, from which she
has not yet entirely recovered, although two
years have elapsed. Before she began her fast
ing she was healthy young woman. weighing
about $50 pounds, and accustomed to take a
good deal Of exercise in the open air by walking
and horseback riding.
From being in the habit Of eating three
hearty meals day, she restricted herself to
q little tea and toast taken at about IL o'clock,
repeated as to quantity and quality just before
going to bed. On Sundays, which, according
to the rules of her church, are feast days, even
though occurring in Lent, she ate small piece
Of some sort Of meat and a little potato for her
dinner. During the whole period her sleep
was more or less disturbed, and she had almost
more than few steps without being seized
with palpitation of the heart. Her teeth,
which were without flaw, began to ache, and
her spine became painful throughout nearly
its whole extent. Although her friends could
not fail to perceive that she was becoming pale,
weak, and emaciated, she had sufficient strength
OF mind, born Of her religious fervor, to con-
ceal her more painful symptoms of disorder
until her period Of abstinence had ended when
sudden fainting spell rendered concealment
no longer possible.
To be sure, this is an extreme case but
there are many others doubtless occurring
in the practice of other physicians which,
though not 80 bad as this, are serious enough
to require medical treatment.
A MISTAKE ABOUT FISH.
have known several persons who have eaten
during the forty days of Lent no other animal
food than fish, their idea being that it was par
ticularly nutritious to the brain, while in alb
staining from flesh food they obeyed the rules
OF their church. Now it is altogether a mistake
building up the brain than does any other ami
NAL food. To be sure, fish contains a larger
proportion of phosphorus than does beef, for
instance, but it is by no means proven that the
brain or other parts Of the nervous system re-
quire any more phosphorus than they can get
out Of any other animal material, or even out
oatmeal. Besides, even il fish, on account of
its phosphorus, were particularly nutritious
to the brain, it would only be necessary for O
person to eat a little more beef when he thought
his brain was especially weak in order to OBJ
tain the required pabulum.
! believe that the prohibition against meat
during Lent does not extend to the flesh of any
animal that comes out of the water; thus
oysters, crabs, Holsters, shrimps, terrapin,
frogs, may be INDUCED in according to the
bent Of the abstainer or faster, and yet the OBJ
legations of religion be complied with. knew
one orthodox member of the church who,
being something of a gourmand insisted upon
1t that canvass-back ducks were sea food, and
who therefore did not hesitate to make two or
three dinners off them every week during
Lent. Perhaps this was really carrying the
matter a little too far. but the other edibles
mentioned are fully capable of nourishing the
body as perfectly as would beef, mutton or any
other beast of the field or the air.
If the young ladies who think it proper to
abstain from the flesh food that is usually
found on their tables would eat freely of the
food that comes out of the sea, 1 am quite sure
that at the end of forty days of Lent they would
weigh fully as much as when the season began.
believe that eggs and milk, though animal
foods, are ale Fable during Lent. 1t would
scarcely be possible to devise more nutritious
breakfast than one composed of glass of milk,
two eggs and slice of bread and butter, and
yet have known people who took such a
breakfast every morning during Lent, suppos-
ing they were Notifying the flesh.