The Washington times., 1907-12-29


health standards may be improved are
various. They include the increased
Federal regulation OF public health. es-
pecially as related TO the pollution OF
interstate rivers and the regulation OF
pure food. as well as Improvement in
State and local administration. II IS
great mistake. however. to suppose
that the primary method Of elevating
health conditions Is by enacting new
laws. or enforcing old legislation. The
motive power must come from public
opinion. and in order that such a power
should exist. II is necessary that the
ordinary Individual should improve his
personal health ideals. This would come
about quickly il each individual appre-
ciated how much he might improve his
efficiency.
Lives Cut in Two.
Experts who have given attention 10
the subject believe that most men cut
their lives in two by unhygienic. ir-
rational methods OF living. and that
during the half OF their natural life
which they actually live they are sick
unnecessarily often and longA Pasteur
said: 1t Is within the power OF man
to rid himself of every parasitic dis
ease If. then, It is possible for man
to win the fight against disease. 10
double the length OF his working days.
to vastly increase his energy and en-
loyment OF life. there Is surely no more
crying need for applying modern science
than to this subject.
Rational diet is OF course not the only
method OF improving health. Pure air,
exercise, sleep, freedom from worry, and
proper surroundings. sanitary. social
and moral. are equally necessary. But
diet is a sufficiently large theme. and
Il Is probably true that II IS more
neglected and less appreciated than any
Of the other subjects mentioned.
So far as diet has received attention
from scientific men. II has been chiefly
concerned with the explanation Of the
process Of nutrition. For practical pur-
poses. however. the important study OF
food Is not so much the way in which
II is utilized inside the body, but the
question Of the quantities of It which
we should consume. and the method
by which we should eat II. The only
control we practically have over food
is limited to the teeth and the mouth
After II is swallowed. II Is relegated 20
processes over which we have almost
no control The practical problem for
man is how TO select his food how
much Of II to eat, and how TO masticate
it.
Too Much heterogeneous Food.
While there IS serious question whether
man was originally or ought now to be
absolutely vegetarian. modern science
has made II clear that he eats far too
much heterogeneous food, such as meat
and eggs. This is particularly true in
America. That a reduction in the use
OF meat and eggs is physiologically right
and beneficial has been thoroughly
shown by Prof. Chittenden IN his fam
Gus experiment with United States sol
diers and Yale students.
Prof. Chlttenden's work has put the
science Of dietics on an entirely new
basis. II has, however, nothing IN COM
mon with the vegetarian cult except
that it advocates a reduction in the use
of flesh foods. This result, however. is
directly at variance with the common
practice in America We have all been
taught that meat gives strength, and
trainers for athletic events have always
given a great deal Of beef 10 their men.
In order TO test the correctness OF this
opinion and to test the comparative en-
durance Of those who used meat and
eggs In abundance and those who used
them sparingly or not at all. an expert
ment was made with forty-nine SUBJ
jects. about half OF whom were Yale
students and half other persons in vari-
Gus parts Of the country. These tests
were gymnastic tests Of various kinds,
the most striking being, perhaps, what
is called deep-knee bending, which con-
sists in STOPPING and raising ones self
again without stopping. as often as
possible. 1t was found that those who
Ised meat and eggs freely could in few
cases do the deep-knee bending more
than 800 times. In fact. some of them
tainted before this number could be
reached. and others found themselves
physically unable to rise to the standing
posture after reaching a much smaller
figure. So fatigued were they that they
had to be aided in descending the gym
nasium steps after the test, for or the
first step. when their knees bent. the
strength left was insufficient to prevent
their falling.
Though the heavy meat and egg eat
ers, except in two or three cases, were
usually unable to do the deep knee
bending more thanN5O times. the case
was altogether different with the other
group who ate these foods spar1ngly.
None of the latter believed themselves
injured by the test and not only were
most OF them able to exceed the 500
mark but large number exceeded 1000
One Yale student who had eaten no
meat at all for two years did the deep
knee bending 1.SOO times, after which
instead Of having to be assisted down
stairs as did his meat-eating COM
petitors, he ran several times around
the gymnasium track and walked up
East Rock and back.
Another subject then living at 3attle
Creek did the deep knee bending 24OO
times without injury. This was until
recently the record, but a few weeks
ago another nurse at the Battle Creek
Sanitarium, who had practiced thorough
ynastication and had abstained from
meat and the excessive use Of eggs
accomplished the almost incredible
record of 5000 times.
Realize Conditions.
Few persons realize whether their en-
durauce Is great or small 11ntfl IL is