A Great Mistake Corrected.
By George W. Amadon
The opinion has very largely obtained, and until quite recently I thought it so myself, that the human body was dependent to a great extent upon the flesh of animals for its supply of heat, and therefore, that a diet composed of grains and vegetables, however well it might answer other ends, would fail on account of not generating sufficient heat. Recent investigations, however, have modified my opinions much, and for the benefit of those who are interested on the question of diet, I will present the following tabular arrangement which lately fell under my eye. It is taken from the "Hydropathic Cook-Book," published by Fowler and Wells, New York, R. T. Trall author. It contains an analysis of fifteen common articles of food as follows: | ARTICLES OF DIET. |
Contains: |
|
Supply to the body: |
|
|
|---|
|
of Solid Matter. |
of Water. |
Blood principle. |
Heat principle. |
Ashes. |
| lbs. |
lb. |
lb. |
lb. |
lb. |
lb. |
| 100 Turnips, |
11 0 |
89 0 |
1 0 |
9 0 |
1 0 |
| 100 Red Beet Root, |
11 0 |
89 0 |
1 5 |
8 5 |
1 0 |
| 100 Carrots, |
13 0 |
87 0 |
2 0 |
10 0 |
1 0 |
| 100 Potatoes, |
28 0 |
72 0 |
2 0 |
25 0 |
1 0 |
| 100 Butcher's Meat, |
36 6 |
63 4 |
21 5 |
14 3 |
8 |
| 100 Bread (stale), |
76 0 |
14 0 |
10 7 |
64 3 |
2 5 |
| 100 Peas, |
84 0 |
16 0 |
29 0 |
51 5 |
3 5 |
| 100 Lentils, |
84 0 |
16 0 |
33 0 |
48 0 |
3 0 |
| 100 Barley Meal, |
84 5 |
15 5 |
14 0 |
68 5 |
2 0 |
| 100 Wheat Meal, |
85 5 |
14 5 |
20 0 |
62 0 |
1 0 |
| 100 Beans, |
86 0 |
14 0 |
31 0 |
51 5 |
3 5 |
| 100 Sago, |
88 0 |
12 0 |
3 4 |
84 0 |
6 0 |
| 100 Corn Meal, |
90 0 |
10 0 |
11 0 |
77 0 |
2 0 |
| 100 Oatmeal, |
91 0 |
9 0 |
12 1 |
77 0 |
2 0 |
| 100 Rice, |
92 4 |
7 6 |
8 4 |
82 0 |
2 0 |
This table is founded on the experiments of Playfair, Liebig and Boussingault, who probably are the best analytical chemists in the land. From it we find that most of the staple articles of food furnish many fold times more warmth to the body than animal flesh. Thus, potatoes supply nearly twice as much heat as meat. Bread over four times as much. Corn over five times, and so on, as may be seen by consulting the table. The opinion, then, that animal food is necetary on the score of the heat-forming principle, is shown by the above analysis to be highly erroneous; and as far as nutrition is concerned, grains and vegetables are altogether preferable, for those parts of animal flesh which form nutriment to the body are derived from the vegetable kingdom on which the animals consumed have fed. Let us all investigate the laws of our being, and pursue that plan of dietetics which accords most with nature, reason, and the original command of God, Gen. i, 29.
G. W. A.