Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-30
PROPER THINGS TO EAT
What is Necessary to Check Increas-
ing Avoirdupois,
BANTING's CURE FOR OBESITY.
What . Fat Man Suners-Ailments Caused By
Corpulence The Proper Diet Abstain
From Food Containing saccharine Matter
and Starch-Ehect Of Turkish Baths.
Written for The Evening Star. tCopyright. j

Written for The Evening Star tCopyright.l
IN 1862 AND 1868 1 WAS IN LONDON,
l. England. Having caught severe summer
cold 1t caused slight deafness, which alarmed
me so much that sought the advice of a cele-
brated aurist. My visiting days were similar
to those of an elderly gentleman with whom I
fell into conversation, and. being afterward
introduced, we became well acquainted. The
affable old gentleman who helped to beguile
the tedious hours of waiting in a medical mans
anteroom was, I afterward learned, nearly
sixty-six years of age.
He was very slightly deaf, not tall. and ap-
peared to me to be Of enormous bulk. In
reality he was feet inches in stature and
weighed POP pounds. a large portion of which
he carried from the chest downward like an
immense balloon of flesh. I am thus particu-
lar in describing him because 1 never met any
one who was personally acquainted with him,
and because he was at that very time engaged
| In writing pamphlet which was destined to
| render him famous. He was a London mer-
| chant, by name VIM. Banting author of the re-
nowned Letter on Corpulence."
This little work appeared in England in 1868
and Immediately attained such popularity that
it was translated into almost all living Languages
and gained for its writer the distinction Of hav-
| ing his name bestowed upon his and any treat
ment for the reduction Of adipose tissue.
Not that Banting was the discoverer Of the
dietetic system for the release from one of the
Oldest plaques Of the human race. The ply
| slclans OF antiquity gave almost similar in
| structions as Banting did for the putting off
| of superfuous fat Hippocrates. "the father
| of medicine (born 400 B. c., recommended
exercise In the open air while fasting. and no
hot baths
THE CURE FOR OBESITY.
Down to modern times no reduction treat
| ment had been of any special value. 1t re-
NAMED for Banting to give some new-old in
formation in such condensed, straightforward
form as to place the ''cure'' for obesity within
the reach OF every one afflicted with the malady
| for that is what it becomes if left unchecked
Among those old enough to remember the
Banting sensation it is generally believed
that the author died shortly after, and in con-
sequence OF his own treatment. Such is not
| the case. He was already an old man when he
began it. born 1877, and died in 1871, having
lived to the age Of seventy-ive and for nine
years after he began his celebrated treatment.
His Letter on Corpulence" is still consid-
cred an authority upon this subject, but is diff
| ficult to obtain, being almost out of print in
this country. By way Of beginning, he says:
Il am confident no man laboring under
| obesity can be quite insensible to the sneers
and remarks Of the cruel and injudicious in
public assemblies. public vehicles or the or
binary street traffic, nor to the ANNOYANCE Of
hndlng no adequate space in public assembly
II he should seek amusement or need refresh
ment, and therefore he naturally keeps away
as much as possible from places where he is
| likely to be made the object of the taunts and
remarks OF others. am as regardless of pub
lie remark as most men, but l have felt these
difficulties, and therefore avoided such circum-
| scrlbed accommodation and notice, and by that
means have been deprived of many advantages
to health and comfort
although no very great size or weight. still
could not stoop to tie my shoe, so to speak,
| nor attend to the little offices humanity re-
quires, without considerable pain and diff
Guilty, which only the corpulent can under
stand; have been compelled to 60 down stairs
slowly backward, to save the jar of increased
weight upon the ankle and knee joint, and
been obliged to puff and blow with every slight
exertion, particularly that of going upstairs"
The reason why Banting could not stoop was
that, as have said, his fat conferred in the alb
domen. About Turkish baths, now much re-
sorted to by the corpulent he says:
THE TURKISH BATH.
"At this juncture (about three years back)
Turkish baths became the fashion, and was
advised to adopt them as a remedy. With the
first few found immense benefit in power and
had found the philosophers stone' pursued
them three times a week till had taken fifty.
then less frequently Gas began to fancy with
| some reason, that 80 many weakened my con-
stitutiOH) I'LL uau taken ninety, put never
| succeeded in losing more than six pounds
weight during the whole course. and gave up
the plan as worthless, though l have full belief
! in their cleansing properties and their value
| IN colds, rheumatism and many other all
| ments."
When I first took course of Turkish baths
| in the delusive hope that they would stay back
| my rapidly accommodating flesh l asked the bath
attendant II they conduced more to the in
crease or to the reduction of fat.
sXao aba Id s,D. o,,r
persisted. do they make you thin or fat?''
They does, mum. both They makes fat
folks thin and thin folks fat"
After describing several of his failures Bant-
ing gs ssy Vs.. ,onns I'll. rich. man v,, r.,..,
| tatingly said he believed my ailments were
| caused principally by corpulence, and pre-
scribed a certain diet-no medicine beyond
| morning cordial as a corrective-with immense
effect and advantage both to my hearing and
| the decrease Of my corpulency."
| My own personal experiments in the reduc-
| ton of my weight extend over a period of
twelve years. Accompanying every so-called
| obesity cure there was some corrective" q
powder or tea, the component parts Of which
| are kept secret from the patient.
The corrective which was given Banting
was an calculated purgative draught, and that
| Is the aim OF them all, though the person sup
poses the medicine to be part Of the reduc-
| ton process.
| WHAT TO ABSTAIN FROM.
Banting goes on to say: "The items from
which l was advised to abstain as much az DOS
| sible were bread, butter, milk, sugar, beer and
potatoes, which have been the main land, I
| thought, innocent) elements of my existence,
or at all events they had for many years been
| adopted freely. These, said my excellent ad-
wiser, contain starch and saccharine matter,
| tending to create fat, and should be avoided
altogether. For breakfast take four or five
ounces Of beef, mutton, kidneys, broiled fish.
| bacon or cold meat OF any kind except pork,
| a large cup Of tea without milk or sugar., a
little biscuit or one ounce of dry toast. For din
ner five or six ounces Of any fish except salmon
| any meat except pork, any vegetable except
potato one ounce Of dry toast fruit out of pud-
ding, any kind Of poultry or game, and two or
three glasses of good claret, sherry or madeira;
| champagne, port and beer forbidden. For tea
| two or three ounces of fruit, a rusk or two and
| cup of tea without milk or sugar. For sup
per three or four ounces of meat or fish, similar
| to dinner, with glass or two Of claret. For
| nightcap, II required, a tumbler of grog (gin,
whisky or brandy, without sugar. or glass OF
| two OF claret or sherry.
''This plan leads to an excellent nights rest
SHE LEAVES