The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-08-13
.UNDER-FEEDING THE
. GREAT DANGER
SAYS EXPERT
DINNERS OF THE RICH SIN MORE
IN QUALITY THAN IN QUANTITY,
HE pEcLAREs-ATTAcks VEG.
ETARIANisM.

LONDON, Aug. 13.-The dangers OF
underfeeding-which lie very general
In these days OF vegetarianism and tina
simple life-have been pointed out by
Sir James Crichton- Browne, the cele-
brated London physician and lunacy
expert, In an address he delivered TOT
the public health congress meeting.
being held at Buxton. Sir James said:
1T cannot be denied that there are
large classes both In Europe and
America who habitually take more
food than Is necessary, advisable, or
even safe. Luxury runs to proteid
food; meat figures too largely and too
often in the meals or well-to-do people,
and as for the pampered domestics In
big houses, who, IL is alleged, eat meat
largely three or four times a day, it.
can only be said that they are laying
up wrath against the day OF reckon
ing.
There is room for economy in GER
tain directions, but much remains to
be said before any wholesale and uni
lversal retrenchment in the outlay on
food can be recommended"
Sir James referred to the change in
the medical view OF nutrition during
the last century.
1t was feeding up that used TO be
recommended on all hands," he de-
clared. Now medical men are preach
Ing not merely simplicity OF diet, but
degree OF abstemiousness that would
hithertoo have been regarded as dan
gerous. The campaign against over
feeding is all very well, but we need
not substitute underfeeding for 1t or
| rashly accept the new and startling
standards that are prescribed for us.
That there is vast amount OF over
| feeding in most civilized countries Is
unquestionable. The entries in the
West End club weight books show how
middle-aged men fear corpulency, and
| the anti-fat remedies show how wo-
men watch their Wristbands. Never,
| theless, in my opinion. there Is far too
much adipose tissue about in certain
social circles, due to too little work
and too much carbohydrates or fats.
THE luxurious dinners of the rich
sin more In quality than quantity.
They are served on a scale OF ex-
travagance against which unsophisti-
Gated human nature revolts.
In reviewing the dietists, Sir James
had a great deal to say OF Mr.. Horace
| Fletcher, the American diet expert,
who declares that chewing Is the Sc
cret of nutrition. Overeating and
wrong eating are, he maintains. the
prime cause OF intemperance in drink.
ing.
The listeners laughed when he re-
marked dryly: mir. Fletcher antici.
pates that the next generation may
chew themselves out OF insanity and
crime II they retain their teeth"
Sir James summed up dead against
vegetarianism. He refused the argu-
ment SO often used by vegetarians OF
Japan's rise to greatness on a vegetar.
fan diet by pointing out that coinci.
dent with the rise OF the Japanese
there has been a vast increase In the
use of animal food by them.
THE Anglo-Japanese alliance Is now
typifed by the popularity of beef
steak with mustard and Worcester
shire sauce" he stated. THE crav-
ing for animal food has largely con-
tributed to the advance of civilization.
Vegetable proteid Is always poor In
proportion to the bulk of food eaten..
difficult OF absorption. and probably.
from a nutritive point Of view, OF In.
ferior constitution"
The ancient Greeks, he pointed out.
were not vegetarians.