gher castes of Hindoos, the Burmese, the
Chinese, the Japanese, the inhabitants of the East Indian
Archipelago, of the mountains of Himalaya, and of ancient and
modern Egypt ; in all of which the prevailing practice is Vegeta-
rian in the great mass of the people, condiments of fish only
being used in the last-named country, associated with the
vegetable products which form the basis of their diet.
In modern times, we have the experience of the Irish, the
Scotch, and the French, as abstainers in the great majority of
their numbers from flesh as food, M. Dupin informing us that
two-thirds of the population in France live wdthout flesh-meal •
whilst McCulloch, in his statistics, shows that even in the
city of Glasgow, in 1763, with a population of more than thirty
thousand, the slaughter of bullocks for the public markets was
a thing wholly unknown. Indeed, the peasantry, and hard
workers of all the countries of Europe, — not excepting our
own, — are, in the main characteristics of their diet, abstained
from the flesh of animals, as in Norway, Sweden, Russia
• “ Modico-Chirurfrical Review, " No. xi. p. 96.
t Rollin’s “Ancient History,” Vol. 1.
INTfiODUCTIOU.
S3
Denmark, Poland, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Switzerland,
Spain, and Portugal ; the bone and muscle of all these countries
being built up upon the vegetable products of the earth.
As examples presented in the history of individuals, there
are many that could be cited, both of ancient and modern times,
as Pythagoras, Plutarch, Zeno the stoic, Diogenes the
cynic, Plato, Epicurus, Proclus, Empedocles, Socion,
Quintus Sextus, Apollonius Tyana:us, Porphyry,
and recently, Kitson, Haller, Drs. Cheyne and Lambe,
Newton, Shelley, Hufeland, the benevolent Howard,
Swedenborg, Wesley, and others, as well as many of the
present time who are identified mth the Vegetarian movements
in this country and America.
Manjf instances to prove the health, longevity, and strength
of classes of men carrying out this practice, can also be quoted
from the experience of the world. The pattamars of India,
who travel such extraordinary distances on foot, as carriei-s of
despatches, mentioned by Sir John Sinclair, subsist upon
moderate portions of rice ; the Poles and Hungarians of the
Carpathian mountains were of the hardiest and most untiring
soldiers in the army of Buonaparte, their great endurance
being justly traceable to the simplicity of their dietetic
practices ; whilst the men who lift and carry the heaviest bur-
dens, as the porters of Morocco, Smyrna, and Spain, with the
coolies of Canton, are aU adherents to the simplest habits of
diet. The Greek boatmen, again, are instances demonstrative
of superiority as to sfrength and development of body, as well
as hilarity, which characterizes them, and bestows a cheerful-
ness over all their occupations. We quote one or two instances,
to add force to om’ remarks upon this subject, and made neces-
sary, perhaps, by the erroneous opinion prevalent, that beef-fed
and porter-drinking labourers of Great Britain are the strongest
men in the world ; while, in fact, their utmost lifting of weights
and carrying of burdens does not in any degree approximate to
the ordinary labours of the various classes of men of whom we
are speaking, whose diet is, notwithstanding, black bread, figs,
dates, raisins, and other such fruits, and whose choicest bever-
age is a glass of iced water.
D
34
IKTUODUCTION,
Page 23
Presented as published in 1891. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
gher castes of Hindoos, the Burmese, the Chinese, the Japanese, the inhabitants of the East Indian Archipelago, of the mountains of Himalaya, and of ancient and modern Egypt ; in all of which the prevailing practice is Vegetarian in the great mass of the people, condiments of fish only being used in the last-named country, associated with the vegetable products which form the basis of their diet.
In modern times, we have the experience of the Irish, the Scotch, and the French, as abstainers in the great majority of their numbers from flesh as food, M. Dupin informing us that two-thirds of the population in France live without flesh-meal • whilst McCulloch, in his statistics, shows that even in the city of Glasgow, in 1763, with a population of more than thirty thousand, the slaughter of bullocks for the public markets was a thing wholly unknown. Indeed, the peasantry, and hard workers of all the countries of Europe, — not excepting our own, — are, in the main characteristics of their diet, abstained from the flesh of animals, as in Norway, Sweden, Russia
• “ Modico-Chirurfrical Review, " No. xi. p. 96. t Rollin’s “Ancient History,” Vol. 1.
INTfiODUCTIOU.
S3
Denmark, Poland, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal ; the bone and muscle of all these countries being built up upon the vegetable products of the earth.
As examples presented in the history of individuals, there are many that could be cited, both of ancient and modern times, as Pythagoras, Plutarch, Zeno the stoic, Diogenes the cynic, Plato, Epicurus, Proclus, Empedocles, Socion, Quintus Sextus, Apollonius Tyana:us, Porphyry, and recently, Kitson, Haller, Drs. Cheyne and Lambe, Newton, Shelley, Hufeland, the benevolent Howard, Swedenborg, Wesley, and others, as well as many of the present time who are identified with the Vegetarian movements in this country and America.
Manjf instances to prove the health, longevity, and strength of classes of men carrying out this practice, can also be quoted from the experience of the world. The pattamars of India, who travel such extraordinary distances on foot, as carriei-s of despatches, mentioned by Sir John Sinclair, subsist upon moderate portions of rice ; the Poles and Hungarians of the Carpathian mountains were of the hardiest and most untiring soldiers in the army of Buonaparte, their great endurance being justly traceable to the simplicity of their dietetic practices ; whilst the men who lift and carry the heaviest burdens, as the porters of Morocco, Smyrna, and Spain, with the coolies of Canton, are aU adherents to the simplest habits of diet. The Greek boatmen, again, are instances demonstrative of superiority as to strength and development of body, as well as hilarity, which characterizes them, and bestows a cheerfulness over all their occupations. We quote one or two instances, to add force to om’ remarks upon this subject, and made necessary, perhaps, by the erroneous opinion prevalent, that beef-fed and porter-drinking labourers of Great Britain are the strongest men in the world ; while, in fact, their utmost lifting of weights and carrying of burdens does not in any degree approximate to the ordinary labours of the various classes of men of whom we are speaking, whose diet is, notwithstanding, black bread, figs, dates, raisins, and other such fruits, and whose choicest beverage is a glass of iced water.
D
IKTUODUCTION,