The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-10-10
FOOD FADDISTS
Do MISCHIEF


WlLLIAMSPORT. Pa, Sept. 22.-An
attack upon food faddists was made by
Dr. G.. Harlan Wells, Of Philadelphia,
! at the convention Of the State Homeo-
pathic Medical Society today In the
course of his interesting paper he
said:
Though most of these faddists diff
fer in many particulars, they all unite
in the cry The American people eat
too much. That such statement is
both misleading and fallacious is evil
dent to every practical physician
That some American people are sick
because they eat too much is undoubt-
eddy true, but it is just as true that
some American people are sick be-
cause they do not eat enough I'm
dereating is just as likely to produce
! disease as Cvereating. No better
proof of this statement is needed than
the fact that tuberculosis especially
attacks persons who are under fed and
poorly nourished. When we consider
that more persons in the active stage
OF life die from this disease than from
any other and the further fact that at
| least one-third Of our entire popula-
| ton exhibit evidences of tubercular
| infection in one form or another. be-
fore reaching the age of % years, we
can understand why this human CRY
| against the use of proper amount of
| meat and other nutritious foods has
been productive of much illness and
! loss of life.
But tuberculosis is not the only
| disease superinduced by an INSULT
cient diet. Nervous prostration,
| anaemia and a number of other con-
! ditions are traceable to the same orig
! in. | could cite numerous examples
from my practice to show that this
| supposition is by no means a creation
of the imagination. A few years ago
l had under my care a young woman
| suffering from anemia and a valvular
affection of the heart. By means of
rest, abundant and nourishing diet and
suitable medication she was restored
to excellent health and continued so
for more than two years. About that
time she had the misfortune to attend
! a series of lectures on cooking, deliv-
cred in a department store by a Dopu-
! lar lecturer and writer. Here she
was told that two meals day were
sufficient for anyone; that the eating
ot4meat was relic of barbarism, and
Ethat the ideal diet should consist of
Agreen vegetables, fruits and nuts She
VWas so impressed with the statements
Of the lecturer that she Immediately
proceeded to regulate her own diet
along these lines. Loss Of weight, ane-
mia and general debility soon super
Vened, and at the present time this
individual is under my care suffering
from recurrence of her cardiac
trouble, togther with tuberculosis of
the lungs.
Wherein lies the fallacy of these
doctrines so popularity disseminated :
Not IN the fact that they are wholly
lalse, FOR there are no doubt many
VINO md death in the flesh pots; but
III the unWarranted assumption that
because some people are made i'll by
eatlng too much, that, therefore, all
persons should reduce the amount OF
their food. The wealthy, over-fed, pie
thorlc cIubman is familiar to us all
put so is the underfed, pale and de-
bllltated man or woman, eking out n
scanty subsistence in cheap board
ing house. To lay down the same
dietetic rules for both Of these classes
OF people is the height of folly. and
|
attempt it. As matter of fact the
selection of suitable diet for any
particular person cannot be decided in
accordance with any general rule. but
we must take into consideration the
age, occupation, race, climate and as
similative powers of the individual
The natural instincts and desires Of a
patient must be given due considera-
ton in formulating his diet 1t has
been shown that the dietetic customs
OF nation represent the results of
many centuries of the combined ex-
perlence of the race, and frequently
constitute more accurate guide as to
the nature of the diet suitable for that
race than any theoretical considera
tons devised in the laboratory OF
chemists or psychologists. The fact
that the coolies of the East are able
TO subsist on a diet Of rice, or that
the Eskimos of Iceland are able tC
subsist on diet of whale fat, does moi
prove that either of these substances
should be the basis of an ideal diet
Tor an Englishman or an American
Inc TACT that the races of the worlC
today that surpass in intellect anC
physical power and endurance have
subslsted on diet consisting largely
OF meat from time immemoriaI, de.
monstrates beyond all question the
beneficial effect of such a diet wher
properly used in supplying the ele.
ments necessary for vigorous devotion