The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-29
He ADVOCATES cANN1BALIsM.
The Startling Theories OF New York
Physician.
From the Ae.e York Merenrv.

rum cue AeG Ofh -hefCtffg.
That the preconceived notions OF the
civilized world with regard to cannibalism
may be incorrect would seam TO be an as
serticn so bold that person who made it
would be given no credence whatever.
Nevertheless, physician in this city, a Gel
ebrated one at thar, has made 1t his hobby
Tor years past when among his professional
brethren TO advocate cannibaliSm as one
of the means for working out the destiny
of the human race. Whether this gentle
man is really great practical joker or
whether be honestly believes in the doc
trine that he advocates seems to be a matter
Of conjecture among his friends. The doctor
himself stoutly affirns that he has tasted
human flesh a number of times, and that
IL Is by no means delicacy to be deSpised
he bases his opinions. however, upon higher
grounds altogether than those of a cult
nary chara cter. He claims that his atten-
ton was first attracted to the subject by
noticing what effect different kinds of living
had upon human beings and animals and
how much their character seemed to be
Influenced by thai of the food which was
used.
1t is beyond dispute that high living
when enjoyed tenn. erately results in phys
ical if not mental Improvement, and that
coarse food has a correspondingly unfa-
vorable effect. The doctor characterizas
swines flesh as undoubtedly demoralizing.
and thinks that horsehesh should be among
the most desirable of meats, Judging by the
character of the animal lie has not con-
fined himself to merely the1rizi upon this
matter. however, but has by experiment
proved that the constituents of horsefiesn
are more numerous than those of cowfesh
Some kinds of dog-meat, however. can
he classe1 higher Than the flesh Of the
morse IN THIS respect, as the doctor
found by ex )erimenting with the carcass
OF a highly bred hound. which yielded a
still greater variety Of constituents by
actual analysis. The complexity of the
organism seems, in fact, to increase with
the amount of mentality which the animal
possesses, rising to its highest development
III man, whose body contains not only all
the ingredients included in the lower or
ganisms, but many which no other form of
animal life possesses. Man is, in fact,
the epltome If animal life, and, as a conse-
quence, stands at its head both physically
and mentally. Basing his arguments upon
the TACT that beef Is superior to pork and
that horse and dog flesh of certain kinds
Is probably superior to either, the doctor
has concluded that human flesh, being a
still finer grade of food, would be beneficial
from purely physical and practical point
OF view, owing to the fact that it contains
a greater variety and a higher order of
nutrltlve substance. Correlatlvely, there
fore, the characteristics of those using it as
rood would be refined in proportion to its
superiority over other meats. This is a
point upon which the doctor positively
insists, as it Is a demonstrable fact and
furnishes solid basis from which to
proceed to more general consideration of
the subject. 1t is already dictum of
modern ethics that the greatest good to
the greatest number is one of the priDciples
upon which depends the advancement of
the cause of civilization, and mere ques-
ton CT sentiment, or personal convent
ence, or taste, should therefore not be
allowed to stand in the way of the welfare
of the race.
That number Of persons should object to
being eaten or should prefer not to partake
or their fellow beings is, therefore, the doc
tor thinks, no reason why his d ctrine
should be condemned. But it is not upon
this ground only that the idea is advocated.
The rapid increase in population ell over
the globe confronts us with a problem
WHICH will one day, unless preventive steps
be taken, prove impossible of ,olution. Not
outstanding this fact, the doctrines of NAL
thus, who foIesaw the inevitable and offered
the best remedy that he was capable of
devlslng, meet with small favor from the
majority OF people, who see In them only
a. unhealthy aad immoral means of dealing
with the subject. Cannibalism will solve
the question which Nautilus underworld 10
solve and in such a manner that the laws
OF health will not be violated, while the
status of the people will be- considerably
improved by the change in the character
or Its food One is apt to inquire why.
when such favorable results are claimed
from eating human flesh, the cannibal
races now iq existence do not exhibit
some proof of the benefit to be obtained
from the practice. From Investigations
which he has made the doctor asserts
that it has often been observed by tray
elers that tribes addicted to cannibalism
have in other respects often appeared
to be morally superior to savages among
whom it was not practiced. Besides,
there is probably 10 people in existence
who eat human flesh regularly day after
day, such a state of things occurring
only during times of war, when prisoners
are plentiful. Again, it must be remem-
bered that these savages are little superior
in intelligence to animals, and that con-
sidering the unsatisfactorinesS of such a
test little experience of actual value could
be gained from the primeval cannibal The
value to be derived from cannibaliSm would
appear from the doctors conclusions, there
fore, to depend principally upon the state
of civilization which had been reached by
the person whose corporal substance pro-
vided the meal. A diet composed of the
feshy envelope of such minds as Glad
stones, Bismarck's, Blaine's and Herbert
Spencer's would, of course, rank as about
the acme of perfection in gastronomy from
a merely utiliUarian point of view, judg-
ing from theory based upon previous con-
clusions, whilst the actual superiority of 6
notorious crook or murderer over re-
spectacle racehorSe would be comparatively
small.
AS to the manner in which people are
to be induced 60 surrender themselves
to the butchers for the good OF their
neighbors, no explanation has yet been
given, although it is probable that the
most equitable method of making selec-
tions would be by means of daily drafts,
the ultimate decision being left to some
decision Of chance, operated after the man
ter Of the lottery. Mere details Of this
kind do not seem to have been consid-
cred, as the originator of the idea does not
believe that we have reached a sufficiently
advanced stage to render his doctrine prac-
tical. He is merely content to offer logical
proof that canuibalism would be, from
purely Spartan point of view, beneficial
institution, aud that it would prove a cure
for the evils of over-population which now
make life a misery to millions of pc pie.
He does not, even in a spirit of gallantry,
TO back up his own proposition, offer to
surrender himself as a specimen by means
of which a committee of gourmetS might
~ 81. i