Year: 1876

classes-the organic and the Inorganic


that is to say. those that have possessed


life and those that have not. Now the


latter are of incalculable service in the
rmetamOrphOsis of organic foods in the


living body, and comprise saline and


mineral matters and water. We can


not at present in all cases tell exactly


why iron, sulphur, chloride of sodium
phosphorus, and tluorine are indis-
pensible to the maintenance of life, but


We know that they are; and the BRAIN


the bones, the blood, and indeed every
living tissue incorporate into their
structure some mineral matter. The
organic constituents of food may be
divided in a variety of ways into several
classes, but whether derived from the
animal or the vegetable world, or COM
prising portiOnsOf both, always include
carbOnaceous and nltrOgeneous CON-
| pounds; the former are dlvlslble into
the hydro -carbOns (Or fatty) and the
carbO- -hydrates (or saccharine.) Now
as the phenomena of nutrition prin-
cipally depend on the interchange of
oxygen and nitrogen and carbon under
the stimulus of that subtle something
called life, it is also possible to consider
the nutritive values of foods according
to the quantities of carbon and nitro
gen present in them. But since the
value of the carbOnaceous constituents
of sugar is little more than twO-fifths
that of those of fats, it becomes neees-
sary to calculate carbon, SO that.
whether contained in fatty or starchy
compounds, il should be reduced to
some common measure. Starch is gem


orally adopted for this purpose. The
nutritive values of different foods may
1 oaenrHInOtyy no anrranrlv TO Al
| by the grains of carbon and nitrogen "A
pound freed from water contains.


The difficulty which next presents it
self Is accordingly this If at least two
hundred grains of nitrogen and four
thousand of carbon must be contained
in the food daily consumed to support
life and strength, would any whole
some food, whatever its source, pro-
vided it contained these quantities of
nitrogen and carbon, satisfy the re-
quirem-nts of the human system We
can positively and emphatically answer
yes. provided the diet is pleasantly
varied and well cooked. But suppose
additional proof is demanded. liz Is
forthcoming. We have discovered that
all foods contain certain alimentary
principles chemically identical, whether
derived from the animal or the vege-
table kingdom. On due supply of
these alimentary principles the human
body is dependent, and on their being
supplied in sufficient and scientific pro-
portions the maintenance of life and
! health hangs. This statement requires
illustI alton. Nothing would have been
easier than to construct dietaries con-
| sisting of flesh OF vegetables alone, or
of both in agreeable proportions, any
of which might have contained almost
exactly two hundred grains of nitrogen
and four Thousand of carbon. But in
terminable and acrimonious disputes
would have ragged as to whether the
vehicles in which these quantities of
carbon and nitrogen were conveyed
into the body were wholesome or not.
Ii is now known that foods contain
nitrogenous and caibonaceOus COM


pounds-as for example albumen, legu-
men, hbrine, syntOuin, gluten, casein,
starch, and celluluse; and this Is the all
important fact, that the chemical COM
position of some of these alimentary
| principles, whether derived from ami
NAL OF from vegetable sources, is not
only nearly the same, but actually
chemically indistinguishable. The
caseln of milk cannot be told from that
of peas and beans; the fibrine of meat
is like that of wheaton flour and the
caulifiower; the albumen OF the cab
bage and that of the white of the egg
are identical, and animal and vegeta-
ble cellulose are alike. The abiest and
acutest chemist would be unable to tell
the source, animal and vegetable, from
which perfectly pure specimens OF
these principles, separated from all
foreign matters, were obtained.


What discoveryis this, 1t amounts
to saying that science cannot point out
any difference between pure and whole
some alimentary vegetable principles
and animal ones simply because there
is no difference between them. Thus
we see how emphatically We can main
tain that a vegetable diet, whether 1t
includes milk, cheese, and eggs or not,
can be wholesome, and can supply the
body with everything IL can possibly
require. That is tantamount to say
ing that health and strength can be
as easily kept up upon it as on a purely
animal diet or a mixed one.


But we have not quite disposed OF
our difficulties, and to what follows
must invite the readers close attention.
Alimentary principles are rarely eaten
pure, but in the vast majority of cases
are taken combined with tiavoTlng and
cOlOring matters, and to the latter the
various articles of our diet owe the
make one food apparently altogether
unlike another; and these tavOrlng
matters it is that make one food palat


able and another nauseous. 1t has
been asked whether it might not there
| fore be found that the savOry tiavOrs of
meat stimulate the palate aud promote
digestive processes. As set-Otf, the
disciples of vegetarianism contend that
it is precisely these rich and subtle
| favOrs which make animal food injuri-
GUS and that all-wise Nature intended
man to live on simpler and purer foods.
Who can decide when doctors disagree,
although many eminent psychologists
| fully indOrse the vegetarian argu-
mentsf Undoubtedly the highly tia-
vored and rich dishes brought 10 the
tables of the wealthy are tempting to
the palate and pleasing to the eye, but
their use makes it difficult to enjoy and
thrive on purer and simpler foods.
From rich and stimulating dishes
come disease, Indigestion, and death,
while simple diets are conducive to
long lite and prosperity; and although
nothing is easier than to acquire the
taste for highly favored animal foods,
| IL Is perfectly easy lOI tuosc dcous-
toned to it to thoroughly enjoy an
unmixed vegetarian diet.


All theories must, however, be
brought to the crucial test of expert
ment to make them of real service to
mankind. Experience on the largest
possible scale, extending over many
centuries,shOw that persons who keep
to a vegetarian diet enjoys vigorous
health and remarkable immunity
from disease, nor can it be urged that
their enjoyment of life is in any way
diminished. Ii is certainly not neces-
sary for avegetarian to be an ascetic.
and deprive himself of some of the en-
| joyments of the table. The digestive
organs are after time strengthened
and adapted. so that Inconvenience
does not follow the consumption of
vegetables on large scale. Radical
and sudden changes in the mode of
life are certainly often attended by
temporary discomfort; but it is aston
ishing how easily the stomach assimi-
lates vegetables, and how soon it


capacity for the digestion of meat dim
inishes; at last. indeed. the inclination
i