East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-10-07
EATING AND HEALTH.

The word "epicure" Is rarely un-
derstood in the right meaning 1t
means not a glutton, but the reverse.
An epicure is an advocate of the sim
pie life for the purposes of best ef-
ficiency. 1t is the man who learns
the good thing and uses it for his own
nutrition. The general impression is
that the word has to do with those
who devote their entire time to
sampling things TO eat, but this is not
the case at all.
The Danes, among whom 1 have
been living this summer have accom-
plished much along epicurean lines.
am going to speak of some of the
practical economies which have been
been instituted in Denmark and which
should be copied in other countries.
Denmark is the land of Jacob Riis, of
Moltke, of Germany, of Hans Ander-
son and of Canute. Shakespeare
speaks in Hamlet of things "rotten in
Denmark" but l found the people far
advanced in private and social life.
There are about two million in
habitants and of these about a half
million live in Copenhagen. There is
a very fine school system among the
farmers. Education is brought TO
their doors by a system resembling
the interurban trolley lines in this
country-that is the schools are dis
tributed so that the farmer is in close
touch with them.
There is a great system of co-opera-
40 60 al
together in cultivating their pro-
duets and in getting them to market
The farmer who has one egg to put
on the market has the same chance
and privilege as the farmer having L.
600.
This system of cooperation has led
to an increase of from 10 to Is per
cent in the value of the products
above that of any other country The
Danes have reclaimed over eighty
square miles of moors which were ut
terly useless before
The Danes take care of the chill
dren They do not allow any child
to escape over there, whether he be
of low or high birth. There is kind
ly supervision and care, no matter
whose child it is. The result of this
protection of the young is that the
country is almost entirely without
crime
No children are allowed to go to
waste simply because their parents
cannot or will not care for them. The
Danes recognize children as being one
of the resources of the country and
so are careful to rear them to be eff
cient and capable. 1t is a policy of
true economy and a remarkably bene-
ficial one.
I suppose I must, however, say
something of the epicureanism Of
food, for food is the basis of true epi-
cureanism. Fletcherism has been
tried in Denmark with good effects.
1t seems ridiculous that one person
should attempt to tell you how to
eat. If Edison We're asked he might
tell you something about electricity.
You are not all electricians, and he
would undoubtedly give you great
deal of information on the subject.
But you are all eaters. Food is the
basis Of true epicureanism. Natures
foods were of the kind that necessi-
tated chewing. There were no soft
foods and drinks in the early times.
All Of natures foods were of such
shape that the nourishment had to
be sucked or chewed out of them. In
the primitive days people had all day
to sit down and get the good out of
food. There was no danger from lack
of time in which 10 properly consume
food.
Consequently men lived to a great
lence. The skulls which are found
have all the teeth still in the head,
worn but not decayed. The remark
able feature of prehitsoric anthrop-