Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1905-07-06
DOES MAN NEED MEAT7
Use or Usefulness Of Beef Diet a De-
batable Question.

OdIdptc NuSSS'OHs
New York Herald: The food ques-
.ion is one that has appealed TO man.
Kind from The time good mother Eve
tried her dangerous experiment with
the forbidden apple. Hers was the
FIRST assertion of appetite which craNed
for the variety of diet which her num-
erous and equally Venturesome de-
~scendants have s~trenuously maintained
is the real spice of life. Every since
the primitive man ate what he could
get until the present, when his civilized
brother gets all he car eat and looks
for new viands to conquer. the Guilt
waited instinct of selection has been an
evolutionary and progressive one. con-
tributing 10 the general gayety of ma
tons We have perhaps gone to the
extreme Ct Indulgence, like spoiled
children. hut the habit Is a little too
firmly seated in the saddle to be bucked
u-ncermoniously in midair by some new
and fanciful theory Of jerking the curb
rein.
The scientists tell us we consume too
much food. and they are right. So far
us they go; but we listen and smile and
eat on, IN spite of their for
mulae their test tube methods and
their Quantitative analyses O. relative
1000 NtIuSS. TO-. perhaps. ~ Will "
WAYS be. as long as man. the willful
arbi.er Of his own destinies. insists up
on living to eat rather than eating to
live.
The real trouble. however with all
projected reforms in feeding has been
their lack OF practical application to
actual needs. There is apparently nc
middle ground for the discussion OF
general principles of compromise be-
tween the actual gourmand and the
earnest and abstemious crank. Theor-
les are arbitrary on one side and facts
are equally stubborn on the other.
When the army squad has been fed
for weeks on the accurately estimated
food equivalent OF certain approved
viands. the victims craved an ordinary
Indulgence In plain old-fashioned corn
beef and cabbage. The limit had been
reached. and simple nature made her
own cry in her own way. 1t was APP
petite against chemical experiment and
healthy hunger against mathematical
estimates of abstract nutrient forces.
These manifestations OF natural
craving are, after all. our real safe
guards against the purely scientific
methods such as have been applied to
the poison bcarders" and the army
squad. We may interpret natural
laws. but science with all Its learn
Ing and skin, annot alter them.
In the face of such n conviction we
are now assured by high standing au-
,hority that meat is virtually useless
for any OF the nutrient purposes so long
claimed for it. How much more GU
bill of fare is to be trimmed to suit the
newer notions of the day is somewhat
difficult TO imagine.
Aside from the pure theory Of the
matter. we may in the end be forced
10 believe that man was never made
for a mixed diet, that his stomach ant
complicated Intestinal apparatus ar,
.,q,ye1N AN accidental survival of uSp-
less organs, of which the insignificant
and troublesome appendix is the type
Experience. however, against which
there is never much of an argument
must prove its value against the mer,
logic of arbitrary rules. The hungr,
man with Il juicy steak before him will
continue his hurtful habit of loadin.
his stomach with unnecessary fodder ii
spite of all theories to the contrary
His instructive need for just such nour
!shment as he takes Will answer al
other questions. He Will not care no,
much more he can lift, how muc'
faster he can run, or how much NOR
fatigue he can endure, but will simpl
, satisfy his want for the time.
!. And. in spite of crank notions to tn
|. contrary, is mol this the proper an
: rational way Of solving the law of de
) imani n supply upon which our yer
. being is based? The craving for Ger
tain varieties Of food is as constant Il
It's EratlnCitlon il imperative. Fac
t tissue makes its own demands in 1t
. OWN way and signals appetite to selec
and nutrition to apportion the multipl
supplies for bone, muscle and blood.
n Nutrition. energy and heat are mer
/. abstract terms in themselves, and thei
o proper Interpretation can never b
$ safely intrusted to laboratory tests q
,. chemical formulate. Therefore. let u
q not be in too great a hurry to adoI
new views that are neither sound, ra
v ,ional nor practical. In spite Of til
! manifesto we are led to believe this
the average man Will still take to hi
: beef whenever he needs it and can 4.
it-and pray, why not?