Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-05-03
VEGETABLES VS.. MEAT:
DOCTOR ON BEEF BOYCOTT


diet, according to some of the well
known physicians and specialists.
They take the position that the peo-
pie should be warned not to attempt
To make the change from meat to
vegetable at once, but TO go at it
lgradually and thus avoid stomach
trouble and other Affections that are
likely To follow an impairment of the
digestion.
Since the beef trust" has boosted
the prices of animal food to such an
extent that meat is almost prohibit
tive To many there has been cry to
practically boycott the packers by re-
framing from eating meat and rely
ing upon vegetables and other less
expensive foods. One doctor who is
Il total abStainer from meat as a
food, is one of the specialists who
sees danger ahead for those who at
tempt to make too sudden II change
from animal to vegetable diet. He
says that any change should be grad
tal or the effect will he deleterious
To the general health. and with am in
crease i'm the number of cases of dia-
betes and kindred kidney, liver and
stomach troubles.
Il have had several patients who
have made the change from animal
to vegetable food" he said. land in
four of them il was attempted too
Suddenly. As a consequence the pa
tient suffered serious Impairment of
digestion. l know of one instance
where a sudden change of this kind
proved fatal II is a very dangerous
when a person abstains from eating
meat he * likely to eat too much po-
tato and other vegetables that con
tain a large amount of starch. The
demands of the system for starches is
exceeded and trouble follows.
Then again. mush and milk and
| breakfast foods are often substitute
ed, and the person eating them is
| likely to do 50 without much masti-
cation. and as Il consequence there
is not the amount of saliva required
for proper digestion of mucilaginous
foods and an impairment of the gas
tronomic powers results. In making
the change from a meat diet such
things as graham bread, fish, eggs
and other foods of that character
should he substituted gradually to
avoid deletcrious effects. If the di-
gestivc powers are not great there
should be especial care"
| \ question as to whether deIcter-
ious effects are likely to follow the
abstaining from eating meat requires
a qualified answer. 1t all depends
upon the vocation of the person
ma king the substitution and how he
] 1. 4 H., IL.
| person engaged in hard labor re
quireS meats, while those who have
less vigorous exercise do not If the
people would avoid meat for thirty
! days / think they would be greatly
benefited physically as well as finan-
cially. Of course, in doing SO a per
son must use reason. / take it that
he would go on a diet of eggs, fish
and food of that kind
Still another takes the position
that the general health would not be
as good if there was an almost uni
yersaI abstinence from eating meat.
Especially does he think this would
he among working men, who require
plenty of heterogeneous foods. The
best way, he says, TO get this kind
of food is to eat meat. People who
do not exercise much could get along
very well ON a vegetable diet, but
the working people could not"
In discussing the harmful results
from sudden breaking off of meat
eating. he said: People should he
careful to do such n thing slowly. 1t
may be several days before the bad
effects are noticeable. 1t would be
far better If in making the changes
southern cereals, like rice and tapio-
ca, were used in preference to such
northern cereals as wheats and many
of the breakfast foods 50 common.
Observations in Cuba and the Philip
pines show that there are no bad
results from the use of these tropi-
cal foods
He says that he has no fear of an
epidemic of diabetes or other disor-
ders. resulting from using different
diet, for the reason that he does not
believe the people would make the
change so suddenly as to cause this.
He says that the tendency would be
to substitute for meat such things as
milk. fish and eggs and that they can
get along very nicely on such food.
The following is a table of some of
the better known articles of food,
together with the per cent of nitro
gen and carbon they contain:
Nitrogen. Carbon.
Beef. without bone -. 3 II
Roast beef ............ 3.52s 1716
Eggs Observation-Disclosures. ~ 1913
Cheese ............. gar 25d71
Cows milk ............. &C SIS
Beans INSTRUMENTATION. 40 ~