The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1891-06-12
EDIsos ms own DOCTOR.

"OIEspOps' Ever Dooy III tie sLops, from
the small boy who politely evades question:
ing visitors and successfully avoids betray-
ing Mr. Edisen's whereabouts, to the chief
lieutenant Of the great man, was greatly
concerned. His immediate associates over
whelmed Mr.. Edison with advice, and all
besought him to call in a physician. Mrs.
Edison was anxious, too, but very proper
", refrained frem Offering any opinions,
feeling confidence in her husbands ability
to choose the wisest course. He approved
OF her silence on this subject, and lectured
his business associates and friends thus:
My friends you are deceived. 1t is true
l am not well, but my ailment is not
serious, if properly treated. III were to
follow your advice, take all the drugs you
suggest or all that the physician you advise
me TO call in would prescribe. I would be-
come worse. The fact is my liver is out
Of order and my kidneys are not IN Just the
condition they should be. / will remedy all
that very speedily. My cure will be a
change Of diet. That is all that is needful
in such a case. Come to think Of it, Ihaye
been eating a great deal of meat lately
now | will stop eating meat altogether and
will eat only vegetables. .
Leaving his friends to ponder over his
words, Mr.. Edison then went up iuto tie
interior Of the State on business. His
friends repeated his observations, and ia
this way it CAM about that several
newspaper paragraphs appeared, alleging
that Mr.. Edison was a confirmed vegeta-
rian. One of these said; Thomas A. Ed
isoD: according to a friend Of his, is a veg-
~etarian. esehewing flesh, fowi, and fish. He
enjoys fruit of all kinds, grains of every
variety, aud likewise vegetables, especially
those that ripen in the sunshine. He is
very careful about his diet, holding that it
has a powerful influence upon the mind
and its action, as well as upon the health
and vigcr Of the body. He has studied tue
matter under the beams of the solar orb:
under the fash OF electricity, under the
laws of science. and in the light of reason.
1t seems that he is unaware Of anything
like selfdenial in the practice of yegetari-
anism, aud that he finds plenty Of delicious
IMMIGRATION, and exhilarating esculents
outside of flesh, fowl, and fish,
One day last week a Sun reporter called
on Mr.. Edison at his laboratory in Orange.
He was seated. smoking a yieiously black
looking segar, at a long table in a bare
room on one Of the upper floors. His face
was blooming with healthy color and a
smile that betokened physical well being
showed a set of firm white teeth. His iron
gray hair stood up in untamed disorder
from a forehead that was clear aud un-
wrinkled. Altogether. Mr.. Edison looked
exceedingly vigorous. physically and men,
tally. He read the paragraph above quot
ed and shook his head.
"No. that isn't true, he said Il am not
a vegetarian al all; in fact just now | am
not eating any vegetables TO speak Of. I
have studied myself carefully, and / eaa
mend any little break in my system better
thar any body else ! ever met. When my
liver or kid4eys are out of order | know
that my diet is at fault. change the diet
completely and then | am a new man
again. don believe in doctors or drugs.
Doctors theories are never to be relied
on, and most of the drugs aren't, worth
anything. am a chemist. and know the
resulting action Of swallow ing drugs, andI
don't take anything iuto my stomach that
/ am not sure will have a beneficial result.
You know that many of the drugs that
physicians have given patients for ages
finally proved TO be utterly worthless.
Change of diet destroys AIRY harmful
bacteria. IT the latter thrive under a
| certain diet, it naturally follows that an en-
tirely different diet will change their en-
vironment and make it SO uncomfortable
for them that they will be glad to quit. |
have been seriously i'll bat once in my life.
Then l bad a doctor; yes, I took his medi-
cines, too"
Mr.. Edison appeared lost in thought
for a omeu Then be added:
Il believe heartily in the laws OF COM
mon sense. II a pagsiciaa pFesorises a
treatment that comedies with these laws
then 1 approve Of him; but if lie comes
with q lotto theories aud drugs / won's
have him"
Mr, Edison noticed that the reporter Was
critically watching him. He thought bis
attention was directed to his ~clothes, aud,
pointing to his coat, a short, thin, blue
serge jacket, he said:
81 wear the same thickness of outer
garments the year around. | never wear
an ovsreoat. 1t is big, heavy, clumsy, and
OF little value as a protector against cold.
The air can get in under it in a number of
places. / increase or decrease the number
of my under garments, according to the
temperature. Every morning when I get
out Of bed l open the windows of my room
and try the air. lit is warm or mild |
put on one undershiFt; if cold, Iput on two,
and if very cold. | put on three. was
down in the mountains Of New Jersey one
winter with a number of men ard proved
that my ideas were G BOD. The thermom-
eter was fifteen degrees below zero, and
they who wore heavy overcoats almost
f-oz. whila with no 0yereoat and a thin