An hospital was established some short time since in the neighbourhood
of London for the purpose of experiment, and it was ascertained by
actual computation, and by comparison with the bills of mortality, that
an average number of persons will reach a greater age by observing
strictly a vegetable diet.
Compared with the English, the French have a greater proportion of
arable land than pasture, and consequently they rear fewer cattle, yet
they have a thriving population, and that would hardly be if they were
stinted in quality or quantity of food. The Irish peasantry live
principally on potatoes, yet they have seldom been found fault with as
labourers, and seem to be a well-built and able-bodied race of men. But
we have not only sufficient proof of the beneficial effect of vegetable
aliment--there are many instances on record, if we had time or space for
them--to show how detrimental the contrary regimen has sometimes been.
One example is worth mentioning: a man was prevailed on by a reward to
live upon partridges without any vegetables, but he was obliged to
desist at the end of eight days, from the appearance of strong symptoms
of putrefaction.
That we live upon meat, and yet increase in growth and strength is
little to the point, but whether we might not be still better without
it; dogs thrive upon flesh, but biscuits are better for them: that we
are fond of it is still less pertinent, for who does not know that
custom alters nature itself, that it becomes, in fact, a second nature,
and that such things as we are accustomed to, though actually evil in
their own nature, yet become gradually less offensive, and at last
pleasant.
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