The National tribune., 1910-07-28
OF pRoI.oNGrNG LIFE.
Plans Hitherto Proposed for Improving
and Extending Human Existence.
The Crane Cure

Plans Hitherto Proposed for Improving
and Extending Human Existence.
The Grape Cure.
II one will take his food or medicine
in the form of pellets, grapes may af-
ford the best medium for that purpose.
The fact that migratory birds fatten
on the grape. and that the flesh of game
after season of grape diet is much
more palatable, suggests the improve
ment of human tissues by the same
means.
The value of the grape was early rec
ognized. We learn in Genesis that Noah
esteemed them and planted vineyard;
and according to Pliny, Dioscorides and
others, the dietetic and medicinal value
of the grape was understood By the an
cient Greeks and Romans. Besides the
direct use of the fruit and its fermented
contents, they were accustomed to boil
the juice to one-half or one-third its
bulk and drink It. In France and italy
to-day il is boiled to sirup and used
in the preparation of various foods
The theory of all fruit cures and fruit
renovation is, aside from the destruction
of hostile germs, that the juice existing
| in the form of free acid, or in combina-
tion with alkalies as alkaline salts, when
taken into the body, forms carbonates
which regulate the alkalinity of the
blood; accordingly. the potassium BIZ
tartrate of the grape being transformed
| into potassium carbonate, an alkaline
salt, corrects the excess of morbid acid
! ity in the blood of the grape-eater.
People whose digestion is unsatisfac
tory, who have intestinal trouble, who
are exceedingly fat, and those subject
to urinary and hillary disorders, are
likely to be benefited by the grape-cure.
| 1t is applied, in fact, to the most diver
sified ailments, largely on the ground
,,I,y
Clans Drs. Curchard and Huber, noticed
favorable results in chronic diarrhea:
and the observations of DIR. Tscharner
were in agreement, especially when the
disease originated in nervous eXcitation.
DIR. Schirner reported favorable results
| in chronic catarrh of the areolar tis
sues; Drs Schulze and Curchard have
recommended the system in diseases of
the skin, as scurvy and even freckles;
and DR.. Liebenstein claims to have
cured the itch by a diet of grapes!
The number of grape-cure establish
ments, in Europe, as well as patrons,
seems to be increasing, though the
methods employed have changed some
what. Formerly when the seeker after
health or increased vigor went to Bin
gen, Durkheim, Aigle, Vevay or Celles-
les-Bains, he was expected to eat
grapes, and nothing but grapes-one
pound the first day, two the second, and
so on up to eight pounds on the eighth
day. when, if unwilling to acknowledge
that he was cured, his daily ration re-
mained at that notch, until he gave in
and said-though he might look little
emaciated-that he never felt better"
etc, when at the end of 25 or 80 days
he would be allowed to depart.
Now, while the maximum amount
consumed is limited to from three to
six kilos (6.6 to 1872 pounds), daily,
it has been decided that weight and
strength are gained more surely and
rapidly by taking other foods with the
grapes. Frequently, too, the effect is
augmented by drinking several glasses
of the freshly expressed juice and
plunging into the mash of grape bath
once day.
Great care is taken as to the external
cleanliness of the grape, as only the
juice should be swallowed, and the skins
and stones thrown away. No copper
sulphate should be used in cleansing
them, which has sometimes resulted in
the poisoning of patients. Washing in
boiled water Is the best method by rims
ing the clusters, though some go to the
trouble of washing the grapes one by
one.
For actual invalids, and those not
seeking merely a renovation of the sys-
tenn. it is not advisable to eat the maxi
mum daily ration: and about one-half
be eaten in the morning as the first
meal of the day. Exercise should be
taken according to the condition of the
patient and preferably before each meal.
One-fourth of the whole daily grape ra-
ton, or one-half the amount remaining,
should be taken about one-half hour
before the midday meal, and the re-
mainder similarly before the evening
meal, and the food other than grapes
should not exceed the limits of the nat
ural appetite.
According to Atwater. the grape af-
fords IL per cent of fats, the highest
among fruits. and according to the
analysis of Henri Chevalier there Is
quite close correspondence chemically
between grape juice and mans earliest
form of nourishment:
Human Grape
milk. juice.
Albumenoid and nitro
genous matter. ..... Is IT
Sugar, gum, etc. ...... lilo IL to 200
Mineral substances. -. 0.4 1.3
Water .......... $40 70 to $50