Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-28
Associated Press.

Correspondence Associated Press
San Juan de Porto Rico, November
17.-Dr. Amadeo, a Porto Rican who
has passed much of his life in the
United States, recently made study
of the foods of the poorer classes OF
his countrymen, and has embodled
some of the results of his labors in an
open letter to Major General Brooke.
His statements have the ring OF TACT,
and they are interesting in that they
give an idea Of what the island laborer
is and OF what can fairly be expected
of him as a citizen of the United States.
In the course OF his letter DR.. Amadeo
says:
Five year ago, upon my return from
the United States, began to make GER
tain comparisons between the poor OF
Porto Rico and the poorer classes
among the Americans. ( noted
A PHYSICAL INFERIORITY
among the Porto Ricans. The blame
for this should be laid at SPANS doors,
for she, by reason of excessive duties
on the necessaries of life, always pre-
vented the poor man here from Cd
tanning proper nourishment.
1.-THE science of nourishment shows
us that a man, in order to maintain
| his health should consume daily about
124 grammes of nitrogenized matter,
| 44O grammes of matter containing
starch and So gramn-es containing
grease. Hence the indispensability OF
| meat. But the labOrer of Porto Rico
lives on carbonates of hydrogen alone.
This largely explains the condi-
ton of the working classes in Porto
Rico-the muscular system wasting
! away from defective nourishment, and
! the brain inactive and dull because de-
prived of phosphates. Moreover, ex-
elusive nourishment of this kind en-
genders severe organic troubles in the
end. A dangerous and common
DISEASE OF THE LIVER
is the direct result among our people
of diet of tubers and bananas.
eucn ulet that degree of intelligence
and activity which would be found in
men properly nurtured.
Il am country physician and when
my patients come to me for relief from
their many inirmities | am obliged
to say to them: You do not need
drugs and medicines, but you need
meat and fish and nourishing foods
These are very important facts to us
and We sincerely hope, as a source of
possible relief that Gen. Broke will
do all in his power to secure the admis-
sion into this island, free from all
! custom duties, Of sailed fish and meats
! from the United States and of rice and
! -four.
ITO the man who works for fifty
! cents, silver, day we should try to
give a market in which his fifty cents
will
BUY HIM PROPER NOURISHMENT
l believe the regeneration of this is
land should begin by restoring the
health of its people. Surely it would
/ be a pity if the inhabitants of part
of the rich American Union should
be without proper nourishment Such
state of affairs was comprehensive
under the Spanish regime. bat it would
be hard indeed to understand under
the control of a government whose
first principle is to care for its people,
as in Porto Rico, care for the people
resolves itself now into proper nourish-
ment,
"a majority of the Porto Ricans are
of European extraction. They cannot
support life in roohess huts and in the
open woods, as can the black races Of i
Africa. We should make it possible
for them to obtain shelter and homes !
at least as good as those Of their fore
fathers. This could be done by per
hitting the entrance. free from all re /
strictions and duties, of the component /
parts of simple houses, such as boards, /
joists, iron roofing and nails.
Il consider these recommendations, /
which l venture TO submit, to be
OF PRIME NECESSITY
for the good of the people Humanity /
demands their adoption. The poorer
classes in Porto Rico cannot be expect
ed TO appreciate their obligations to
the United States. much less to fulhl
intelligently the duties of American cit
liens, because their enfeebled mental
and physical condition, the direct re-
suit of mal-nutrition, makes this i'm
possible TO them. We shall proceed
with the work of social reconstruction
of this island, but in order to have
healthy minds to work upon we must
first secure healthy bodies But We
cannot look for healthy bodies IN a
country where excessive tariffs would
continue TO prevent the poorer classes
from eating meat and bread and 10
compel them to resort for sustenancel
TO roots and bananas"