The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-05

young unmarried girls seem to enter an I'M
known world as Ignorant and unprotected as
Eve in the Garden Of Eden, and with results in
many cases virtually the same"
It Is not necessary for me to anticipate the
Of American young womanhood
upon the sentiments expressed In the forego-
ing observations. Perhaps It is true that So
cial and other restrictions upon their liberty
Of action at the seashore and in society gen.
orally are necessary in order to maintain or
binary decency among English mon and wo-
mon. l have no intention to al(ege anything
90 grossly insulting, but such Is the implica-
ton made by much Of the ~voluminous corre-
spondcnce In the newspapers on the subject Of
false modesty.
A more material subject for silly season dis
cussion was preached the other day by 7. p.
o'Connor. NJ. p, under the title, as Daily
Bread a Mistaken Mr.. 0'Connor, prompted
by bitter experience, argues that bread. instead
of being the STAFF Of lifo' Is better described as
the STAFF Of death" 1t Is a hygienic question
and, OF course, more properly In the domain Of
the medical profession. but 1t is being sharply
discussed by both physicians and laymcn.
High authority 10 brought forward for the ad-
vice that 1t Is not wise to make bread and other
starchv foods the principal articles OF diet after
the body has become fully developed. gay at the
ago OF oO, ana some interesting uRI1 are gwen
bearing upon tho subject.
Mr.. o'Connor bases his remarks upon tho
life Of that wonderful man, just deceased, Sir
Isaac Holden. Mr.. o'Connor says OF him:
He lived nearly ninety-one years. That in
itself Is u marvellous achievement, but It gives
only an imperfect idea OF what this wonderful
man did. ! knew him fairly well for many
years In the House Of Some Of tho
years were stormy. anxious, and trying. Even
now. tho work and hours of the House Of
Common are o severe strain on robust ply
siques. But now the hours are as nothing to
what they once were. Except toward the close
OF the session, the House now rises half an hour
after midnight, but up to the end of 1886 tho
House had no fixed hour for adjournment, and
was frequently. II not, indeed. usually. hard at
work up to 9, 3, and 4 o'clock in the morning
Now and then, too. there were all night sittinGs.
In all that hard work Sir Isaac Holden took his
full part He rarely spoke. but he was always
In the division lobby when his vote was wanted.
He attended at question time; remained always
to dinner In the House-which only the hard.
est-working members Of Parliament do. and he
was to DO found In the building usually up to
the moment when the Speaker left the chair.
1t was q truly edirying sight to see this man.
with the burden of moro than so years upon
him, walking erect and cheerful into the divis.
" lODDy ~ i, 8, D, III d U CiOCh IN IL MORN
ing. showing no sign Of fatigue or even OF
sleepiness or irritation. Gentle, low-voiced,
tolerant. he had all the same an iron sense of
duty and an inlexible courage. l never, in all
these years, saw him rufled, exhausted, or de.
pressed.
The explanation Of this extraordi mary vital.
ty was not to DO found in any great gifts from
q bountiful nature. Sir Isaac Holden was not
only small Of stature. but he was narrow.
chested, pale. and rrail. He had a sickly child.
hood; he once completely broke down from
verwork and ut no time of his hfe could he
claim to have been anything but q delicate man.
Nor do tho enemies Of alcohol and tobacco find
in him q triumphant vindication Of their theo.
ries. 1t is quite true that In drinking, as in
eating, he was most abstemious. but he was
never q teetotaler. As 10 tobacco. I should call
him a rood smoker. Indeed, he was one of the
constant frequenters OF the smoking room In
the House Of Commons. and I have often seen
him at the end Of moro than one long and thick
cigar in the course OF q prolonged sitting.
NO; the secret OF Sir Isaac Holden's health
and longevity was his choice of food. The
main article Of his belief. as I understood II,
was the avoidance Of predominantly starchy
food. Since I first heard this principle Of diet
airy laid down by Sir Isaac Holden-and It was
then q revelation to mel have seen the same
put toAt4A " oeAiSA oAA o % No ul bHo
rant layman may venture to speak on a medical
subject, ! am convinced that the crusade
against starchy food contains tho germ OF
new and o benefcent gospel OF health"
Mr.. OhConnor goes on to point out that bread
which contains 35 or 40 per cent. Of starch. Il
difficult Of digestion, and is made up Of ingre
dients not required in large proportion by thu
adult system. He quotes DR.. Rowbotham, al
English authority on the subject. who wrote:
1.-The solid earthly matter which. by gradua
accumulation in the body. brings on ossinca
ton, rigidity, decrepitude, and death is prin
cipally phosphate Of lime or bone matter, car
Donate Of limo or common chalk, and sulphat
OF lime or plaster Of Paris, with OCCASIONAL,
magnesia and other earthly substances. Tn
only difference in the body between old ago an,
youth is the greater density, toughness an
rigidity. and the greater proportion Of calcare
GUS earthly matter which enters into its com
position The definition OF earthly matter
being thus understood. the full scope Of tho FOL
lowing denunciation Of bread by Rowbothan
will DO appreciated: Bread from wheaton -four,
when considered In reference to the amour
OF nutritious matter It contains, may with Jul
tice DO called the stan of life; but. In regard +
the amount Of earthly matter. we may, wit
equal justice. pronounce 1t the stan Of death. 80
Mr.. 0'Connor ignores the fact. which I en-
phasized In o recent letter, that good bread
almost unknown In England. An expert In
later communication points this out. and says
''The bread mostly sold In London might eel
tainly be called moro properly the stan G
death than the staff of life. AZ It Is made tror
foreign -four. from which most OF the nitrog,
nous part OF the wheat has been removed. and I
which Is added boiled rice -four to make tn
bread moro adhesive and hold more water, t
mako the bread heavier. For tho same reaso
II 10 not sufficiently baked. BY turning III
fresh loaf over occasionally as 1t lies upon tn
shelf the water Is prevented from gravitatin
to tho bottom and making 1t sodden. The La
compels the baker TO give four pounds of brea
I for q ~quartern loaf. but 1t does not state that
must DO four pounds of pure bread properl
baked"
The vegetarians. who still exist In large nun
, bers In England. have been aroused by Ii
crusade against bread and arc rallying to Il
!, defence. They are sending in lists Of nonoR
marian bread eaters and other refutations OF M
: O'Connor's arguments. The doctors have ali
taken q hand on both sides OF tho question
\ and fba raauIf of cnlraa will ha no raaulf NJ nj