The sun., 1919-01-14
HORACE FLETCHER,
DIETITIAN, DIES
Celebrated Food Expert Sue
cumbs to Bronchitis After
Long Illness. .
HELPED BELGIAN RELIEF
After Being Called Bad Insur-
ance Risk lie Developed Into
Physical Prodigy.

CoPESuAGES, Jan. 13-Horace F'let-
cher. whose opinions on food mastlca-
tion ana dletetlcs in general caused his
name TO be known throughout the world.
died to-day OF bronchitis after a long
Illness. Mr.. Fletcher had been engaged
recently as a food economist for the
Commission of Relief in Belgium. and a
campaign Of education he wssed among
the people OF that stricken country was
credited with having done much to re-
lieve the suffering there during the most
trying period OF the German occupation.
For many years before the term
'Fletcherizlns." which was but syn
onym for chew your food thoroughly"
thrust Mr.. Fletcher into international
fame as an authority on food and proper
methods OF eating. he was known as a
traveller lecturer and author, especially
upon sociological conditions and child
life conservation. He had villa at
Venice and spent much OF his time
3ourneying from there to unfreQuented
corners OF the world.
When in the United States Mr.. F1et-
cher lived generally at the Waldorf
Astoria. New York city and 1t was a
trip from there to the Office OF a physi-
t'dh tnat yet
him upon the series OF Investigations
! which resulted In his unique ideas re-
garding food consumption. The physi-
clan pronounced him as a bad insur-
ance risk and the policy Mr.. Fletcher
was seeking TO procure was denied.
His Feats OF Strength.
Earlier Mr.. Fletcher had been known
az n collegiate athlete of considerable
ability. and after he had mastered what
he termed the art of eating properly he
performed many fess of strength and
endurance which trained athletes In the
best of condition and from fifteen to
thirty-flve years younger than himself
were unable to accomplish.
Mr.. Fletcher was born in Lawrence
Mass, in 1S49. and was graduated from
Dartmouth. lie took UP the study OF
nutrition in 1895, hut II was not until
almost ten years later that his ideas
became the subject OF international at
tention. Subsequently his theories were
tested at Yale and Cambridge univer-
stiles. on another occasion. although re-
puted TO have fortune OF several mil
lions. he took cheap apartment In the
| Phlpps model tenement in New York
city, where he demonstrated that he
could live on less than 60 cents n day.
That was In 1909.
For 4 time after Mr.. Fletcher pro-
mulgated his theories Il appeared as II
the whole world had taken UP the fad.
The late King Edward OF Great Britain
was a devotee OF "FTetcherism.' So
was Mrs. James Bryce, wife Of the for
mer British Ambassador TO the United
States Mrs. Sherman. wife OF the late
Vice President, was another OF those
who publicly espoused the Fletcher tho
cries.
At the Waldorf Astoria Mr.. Fletcher
attracted much attention by putting
into effect there his system of eating.
with the effect that his dinner and break
fast checks--he rarely ate more than
two meals a iay-amounted 20 less than
the tips he gave the walters. FIRE.
quently he paid as high as 40 cents for a
breakfast in some OF the most famous
dining places IN New York. London.
I Paris. Berlin. Then he gave the waiter
so cents as gratuity for serving the
meal.
Alto What He Wanted.
81 eat whatever my appetite de-
mands," he said. explaining hts food
theories. MY appetite is a pertec. IN
dlcatlon OF ny bodily need. l seldom.
Il ever. eat more than two meals a day.
yet I have never known what It is 20 be
tired except when ] have been forced Il
be inactive"
Mr.. Fletcher said his researches had
convinced him that malnutrition was the
cause OF most diseases He reasoned
that as the action Of the stomach was In
voluntary. the difficulty must be In the
mouth, where the action Is voluntary. He
soon discovered. he said. among other
untabulated physiological facts. that af-
ter he had formed the habit Of so thor
oughiy insaiivating his food. both liquids
and solids, IL became tasteless, but he
swallowed II without voluntary effort
He also said that he experienced a GU.
rious inability TO swallow food not &C
thoroughly mast!cated, and that his
throat, through no act of his will, closed
against that which had not been re-
Huced ~ tha consistency Of cream.
! Although he was credited with havins
urged that each mouthful Of food Should
be bitten thirty-two times he said that
advice came from Gladstone, while hi,
own idea was that some foods require
great deal more mast!catlng than
othera some perhaps only haf as much
as Gladstone advised.
Among MIR. Tetcher's writing. were
"A r c OF snap Shooting" "Meutlcul-
ture." "Hsppiness." THAT Last Waif; or
Social uarantine" "What Sense; or
Economic Nutrition" Natures Food
Filter; or. What and When 60 Swat
low" "Glutton or Epcureo' and 'tIetci'
Ierlsm, What II IL" Many OF these
writings were translated into italian
Hungarian, Polish and Russian.
He was president OF the National
Mouth Hygiene Association of America
member OF the Committee OF 100 on Ma
,ional Health and the National Commit
tee Of Mental Hygiene and vice-president
Of the Food Reform Society OF England
He was a member OF the Japan Society
a, London. the Japan Society Of New
YORK. the I.otos Club OF New York and
the Authors and Arts Club OF London,