The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1893-04-06
THE ETHICS OF FOOD.
Georges Experience with Prof
SpatlinR's Course Of Lectures.

Soon after our marriage, my wife,
who is somewhat of stickler for by
giene, found the advertisement of
course of lectures on the Ethics of
Food" under our knocker, and brought
it In to me.
George, dear, isn't it fortunate?
You know you were telling me the
other day that disease is often COM
municated by food-and here's the
very thing we want. A course of six
lectures on the something or other of
food; only a guinea the course, and by
Prof. Spatling, too. Don't you think,
as you are always SO busy writing, I'd
better 90 and see what the lectures are
like? It'll be so useful to know what
one is eating"
The only occasion on which had
spoken on the subject at all was one
from the British Weekly question
from correspondent, whether toma-
toes were ever the cause of cancer?"
and had remarked on the improba bility
of such an event. But then was new
~ married, and unused to the ways of
women, or possibly unduly tolerant;
SO l made only faint murmur at 1.-THE
expense
Expense? But wouldn't it be false
economy to study that when our health
is concerned? Why, we don't know
what suffering and disease we may es-
cape by taking little care"
Well, the long and tho short of it was
that my wife was present at the lee
ture, while remained at my freside
to thump out on my typewriter an
article for the Olympian Review. l be-
came so absorbed in this, that when a
gust of cool air blew into my room, ant
my wife, with the usual outdoor smell
that one notices in winter about her
clothes, came in, it seemed but a few
minutes since she had left me.
"Oh, George dear, I am so glad saw
that handful. It's so providential; for
if hadn't gone tonight, goodness only
knows what might have happened"
What on earth do you mean, lovo?'
My wife was too agitated to answer,
but went into the next room and rang
the bell for Pauline. As a matter Of
fact, Pauline's kitchen is almost as near
as the next room, and she might have
called her much more easily than by
ringing the one perfect bell that we
possess But the principle of style was
involved; and to that my wife is ready
to sacrifice any amount of personal
comfort
Pauline, after repeated tinklings,
'came up smiling" from a novelette,
she had just been reading. Pauline is
good girl, with character which
some day intend to work into a novel.
But that, as Mr.. Kipling would prob
ably say, is quite another story.
Pauline" said her mistress, take
that meat away" The table was al
ready laid for supper, and attempted
feeble protest against having my
meal spirited away thus before my
eyes. But my wife was determined,
and said: DO you know, George, what
the consequence of our eating meat
may be? It's quite possible that we
may go into consumption. Prof. Spat-
ling says that mea: is prolific cause
of consumption, owing to the capacity
of animals to contract that disease.
The 'basilica'. or whatever you call
those horrid little insects. get from the
meat into your system, and do the mis-
chief. Jews are much freer from con-
sumption than we are, solely owing to
the fact that their food is always rigid
.ly inspected by the rabbis before being
used
''For human consumption" I sug-
gestcd, jocularly. But my wife was
very much in earnest.
Then those pickles, too. Pickles
arc simply poisonous. Sulphate Of cop
per is largely used in their mauufac-
ture, accounting for their bright green
colors. You can give the beef and
pickles to Mrs. Priggs tomorrow, Pau
line. to take home to the Children
my DEAR" ventured to suggest,
''if these are to disseminate the. germs
of consumption and to poison their re-
cipients. do you think it quite the
thing"
was going to say Ito give them
to our washerwoman," but vision of
mothers.in-law fitted across my brain
and l was about to suggest that her
mother might be glad of them when
my wife continued: Then that bacon
every body who eats bacon gets trich-
inosis. And you know you said your
self, George. dear, that tomatoes
brought on cancer"
But, my love-" I ventured mildly to
suggest, If we mayn't eat meat of any
kind, or tomatoes, or pickles, what on
earth is there left to live on?''
'Oh, heaps of things-eggs, fish,
poultry, vegetables, everything, al
most. And am sure it wouldn't be
right to fly in the face of Providence
after Prof. Spatling's lecture"
So for. the next week we were living
on eggs, vegetables and fish, and by
the time of the second lecture were
rather longing for q change of diet.
Pauline had just laid our supper
oysters and sardines, eggs, pastry aud
cheese-when my wife returned, tear
fully anxious.
darling, do you-have you
ARE there any-any spots about you?''
said I had no doubt I could oblige
- her, but could not tell with any GER
,tainty. But she was evidently severe
~ serious.
please, don't joke, George dear; it's
a matter Of lite or death. Do run up
stairs and soc before it is too late"
SO finally, after useless protests,
was sent up to my bedroom with pen
Gil and paper to report on the appear
ance and location of any ''spots" I
might happen to possess.
z 'tOh. I'm SO thankful" said my wife
when she was told that but few PIN
pies that had existed long before the
1 era q food lectures, my skin had .
clean bill of health. II am glad that
our folly has not, mp to the present,
had any serious consequences. DR..
Hutchinson. the greatest surgeon in
England, says Prof. Spatling, has
proved conclusive]y that leprosy is
society caused by eating too much fish;
~. .9-.r.r.: are always the parts