La rassegna. [volume] (Philadelphia, Pa.) 1917-????, 1917-05-05

afterward came to be known as
the Diet Squad. The Squad was
put on the twenty-five cent menu
and regularly exercised. The ge-
neral public expected the Rockies
to grow low in spirit and less
juicy day by day. However, at
the end of a limited period, they
emerged from the test happy,
serene, eighteen pounds to the
good, and absolutely converted
to the belief that other forms of
wickdness are almost righteous
compared with waste in foods.
1t was not the purpose of the
Institute to insist on a twenty
five cent diet, however much the
ultimate benefit to rich and poor,
but rather to suggest how a sort
of basic diet, or formula, might
be used for building and suggest
ing other diets more in keeping
with the constitution and finan-
cial status of the Individual.
Needless to say, all this amaz-
ing altruism was accepted with
more than a grain of suspicion.
However, it was a timely hint.
In an hour much less critical
than this did we not have the
serious arising of one author to
inform us how best we might
live on twenty-four hours a day
The need to know how to live on
twenty-five cents a day, may yet
be taken even more seriously.
Now it is a we'll known fact
that science, after posting its
conclusions, has a heartless habit
of scurrying on to new fields of
investigation. Hers to pioneer,
not necessarily to disseminate
knowledge. But the new Science
is not content merely to rend the
veil guarding the mysteries from
profane eyes, it also considers
ways and means of putting its
conclusions to work. The Insti-
tute, therefore, called together
numerous prominent individuals
from all fields of endeavor to
discuss the value of the disco
very and the means of populariz-
ing it.
1t was a various band that as
sembled at the Diet Kitchen and
sat down to test u sample rnean
of requisite calories. There were
writer's, sociologists, medical
men, and physical educators; life
insurance men and health COM
missioners - and there was a
/ oct.
1t was a decidedly exemplary
meal, mainly sane and pacifist,
with here and there a dish to
suggest the needful thrill, yet
nothing to call forth ire or fire.
At the end of the repast it was
made clear that those WHO had
come to scoff, would be expected
to remain - if not to pray, at
least to testify.
The discussion was led by the
medical director 1t the Institute.
He said, in substance, that as the
world over a menu was the quest
Of all, the Life Extension Insti-
tute had arrived at the goal by
discovering one which would be
applicable for every known com
bination; for old and for young,
for sick and well, for the happy
and the unhappy, from the un-
comfortably rich to the uncom-
fortably poor. 1t realized, how
ever, that if there is anything
the people squirm at, it is inter
ference with their right to live
to eat. 1t, therefore, availed it.
self of it's prerogative in calling
for expert opinion as to the value
of the menus and the most eff.
fective ways of imparting them
Many and various suggestions
followed. Educational Institu
tions, such as churches, colleges
and schools were the favored
means. The difficulty with these
was at once seen. The benefit
could not be immediate, since
only the young might thereby