The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-28
PORTO RICO NEEDS FOOD
IT'S INHABITANTS WEAKENED ny
LONG LACK OF NOURIsHMENT.
Doctor AmadeO Has Made an Investi-
cation, and Suggests a Charitable
Policy for Uncle Sam.



Correspondence of the Associated Press
SAN JUAN DE PORTO RICO, Nov. H.
DR.. Amadeo. Porto Rican, who has passed
much of his life in the United States re-
Gently made a study of the foods of the
poorer classes of his countrymen, and has
embodied some of the results of his labors
in an open letter to Major General Brooke
His statements have the ring of fact, 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
citizen of the United States. In the course
of his letter DR.. Amadeo says: give years
ago, upon my return from the United
States, L began to make certain compari-
sons 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 Spain's doors, for she, by reason
OF excessive duties on the necessaries of
life, always prevented the poor man here
from obtaining proper nourishment.
THE science of nourishment shows us
that man, in order to maintain his health
should consume daily about 124 grammes of
nitrogenized matter 440 grammes of matter
containing starch, and So grammes contain
ing grease. Hence the indispensability of
meat. But the laborer of Porto Rico lives
on carbonates of hydrogen alone Meat is
luxury he very rarely tastes.
This largely explains the condition of
the laboring classes in Porto Rico-the
muscular system wasting away from de-
fective nourishment and the brain inactive
and dull because deprived of phosphates
Moreover, exclusive nourishment Of this
kind engenders severe organic troubles in
the end. dangerous and common disease
of the liver is the direct result among our
people Of diet of tubers and bananas We
cannot expect from men on such diet that
degree of intelligence and activity which
would be found in men properly nurtured.
l am a country physician, and when my
patients come to me for relief from their
many infirmities 1 am obliged to say to
them: You do not need drugs and medi-
cines, but you do need meat and fish and
nourishing foods
''These are very important facts to lis,
and we sincerely hope, as a source of pos
sible relief, that General Brooke will do all
in his power to secure the admission into
this island, free from all custom duties.
of salted fish and meats from the United
States and of rice and flour. To the man
who works for so cents, silver a day we
should try to give a market in which his
90 cents will buy him proper nourishment
l believe the regeneration OF this island
should begin by restoring the health Of it's
people. Surely 1T would be- a pity if the in
habitants of a part of the rich American
union should be without proper nourish-
ment. Such state of affairs was compre-
hensible under the Spanish regime but it
would be hard indeed to understand under
the control OF a government whose first
principle is to care for its people, and in
Porto Rico care for the people resolves it
self now into their proper nourishment.
"a majority of the Porto Ricans are of
European extraction. They cannot support
life in rootiess huts and in the open woods,
as can the black races of Africa. We
should make it possible for them to obtain
shelter and homes at least as good as those
of their forefathers This could be done
by permitting the entrance, free from all
restrictions and duties of the component
parts of simple houses, such as boards,
joists, iron roofing and nails. / consider
these recommendations, which 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 expected to appreciate their
obligations to the United States, much less
to fulfill intelligently the duties of Ameri-
can citizens, because their enfeebled mental
and physical condition, the direct result of
malnutrition makes this impossible 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 coptinua 70
prevent the poorer classes from eating meat
and bread and to- compel them to resort for
sustenance to roots and bananas"